Sooo much pooping

[chickiepiggies]

i got 2 new hens just over a week ago the run is separated from the existing 2 hens. the problem is the new hen sausage is pecking and pulling then eating Sweeps feathers!

 

sweep has a patch on her back where all her feather have been pulled out she was also bleeding a little on Sat. i have clean her up and put Vaseline on her back which seems to work for a bit but then sausage pulls them from her leg.

 

i have tried to fit a bumper bit twice to sausage but have failed both times i keep thinking im hurting her trying to do it.

 

do i open up the run and let them be together so they have more space in WIR. they are free ranging together. will this take sausages mind of pulling sweeps feather out? the new ones still get chased by the older hens poor sweep seems to get brunt of it . i have anti peck spray it doesnt work but i have order a saddle for Sweeps back to protect her more

 

Sweep is glued to sausage and follows her everywhere she seems to cry out for her when they get separated by the other two when chased so i dont really want to take sausage away from sweep

 

any advice on the feather eating and pulling would be appreciated thanks

[Burtie14]

It sounds like perhaps Sausage (great name!) isn't eating feathers because she's a bully, but is just because she's young and feathers are tasty.

 

The best thing might be to break the habit - either a bumper bit if you can go through with it (though i've never tried one personally, but there are lots of success stories on here).

 

Alternatively, we've fitted one of our chickens with a saddle and it does help - however, we found that it wasn't quite long enough to protect her tail so we had to sew additional material to it. I also don't think it really addresses the problem, because the moment the saddle comes off, the pecking starts again.

 

Other ideas might be switching their pellets for mash, giving them extra toys to keep them busy, or adding protein to their diet.

[chicken bark]

I agree with Burtie. Give them plenty to do so that feather pecking isn't so interesting and give them so higher protein food for a while. I think Tuna cat food is what others use.

[AJuff]

I can really sympathise with you here. I have feather pluckers . . five of them now have the habit as it spreads among them. I have tried Ukadex, purple spray, bumper bits, separating until feathers grow back, extra protein, toys to play with . . all to no avail. Even with bumper bits on my lot can pull feathers out. I am now resigned to feathe plucking and bald bits on hens.

[bevvy1]

i have 1 very bald chicken due to a pecker, my husband thinks she pulls a lot of them out herself

[chickiepiggies]

Thanks all. i got home last night from work to find she had been doing it again its so heart breaking as when i treat the area and clean it she give a load squeak as it must be hurting her and quite sore, poor little thing

 

the little ones enjoyed some tuna flakes last night & this morning, they have a corn hanging up, corn to scratch on the floor and both mash and pellets.

 

the good news is that i found the new babies snuggled up to Sooty last night in the nesting box, snowy was in the hole and just gave sausage the odd peck nothing to nasty. i'm just hoping that if i open up the run it won't upset Sweep to much, she's so small and timid and still scared of the big girls, sausage has quickly become more adventurous but still runs away.

 

i just hope the saddle helps her to recover a bit.