katek Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 I got 3 ex-bats 9 days ago. One, Samantha is the boss, she always had a small upright comb and seems to be very healthy. She is scratching and eating worms and follows me around the garden when I am out side. She won't let me pick her up yet though . She is still laying daily - though makes her own nest behind a bush and lays about 10am. The other two are more moth eaten, clucky is the lowest of the low and is pecked especially by Samantha. She and Jilly seem to have become firm friends and go every where together - well I say everywhere - they only leave the small run when Samanth coms in for food! They get very upset if they loose one another pacing the floor if one is out side an the other in. If I have locked them all in the run Jilly and Clucky stay in the Eglu not coming into the run at all even to feed! They have large floppy combs and fewer feathers, Clucky seems now quite basted on her belly. After an initial flurry they have stopped laying. My questions are will Samanth always be so much of a bully? Will the other two learn that worms are food? Will they start scratching and clucking as Samantha is already doing. They seem a little bit better around me now quite happy if I am on the out side of the run but nearish them. Will they every trust me to stoke them or pick them up though I can't believe that they all came from the same place as Samantha seem qutie normal from the start, clucking and scratching and understanding what is food but the others have no idea. I presumed they would all be about the same age but I don't know now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-real-tinkerbell Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 i had this with my girls hun baily was the boss and merideath used to hide in the eglu all the time (baily was in the best condition ,merideath the worst ) baily would pluck merideath as soon as any feathers came through and wouldnt let her near the food or water ,however we are now a couple of months in and you would never know ,they have all feathered up .baily is still the boss but merideath and christine dont seem as scared of her . my top tip would be to give them time and more extra pots of food and water in for a little while as for scratching and eating worms they will get there i can remember the first time i saw merideath dust bath i was dancing around the garden lol take a look at my post "what a difference a couple of months make " they will get there as clucky and jilly get stronger samantha will back off a little ,and remember they are strangers and trying to settle the pecking order ,get some good anti peck spray and keep your eye out for blood being drawn hope that helps a little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katek Posted November 3, 2010 Author Share Posted November 3, 2010 small hurray, Jilly left the run today! Without being bullied and clucky is wandering all over the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the bradley bunch Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 small hurray, Jilly left the run today! Without being bullied and clucky is wandering all over the garden. hurray! we had the exact same set up with our trio of ex-bats - Doris (hubby's girl...figures ) was clearly the boss from the start and like you we couldn't believe that she'd come from the same place as Boo & Lulu . she has a very good plummage and just a small bald patch on the back of her neck, although she does have one wattle missing , whilst Boo & Lulu came pretty much 'oven ready' and still have baldy bottoms 6 months on! Boo & Lulu also quickly became the best of friends and their bond has proven inseperable. i honestly believe they are equals in the pecking order - even now with 2 more chicks added to the mix neither seems to be above the other. and Doris, who i often think of as the 'matriarch' of the group (as with elephants ) has become a very loving & motherly leader. i think once settled in Samantha will thrive as top hen and will stop bullying the others - after all they are her flock as for the scratching around & clucking, hens are normally very quick to mimic each others behaviour so i wouldn't worry about Jilly & Clucky at all - they'll be scratching around ruining your flower beds in no time & shouting at you whenever they see you in the window of the house you'll wish they hadn't learnt how to 'be hens'! they're so full of mischief! tinkerbells top tip 'to give them time and more extra pots of food and water in for a little while' is a great one and try not to be put off by them not liking being stroked or picked up. my ex-bats, particulary Boo, still don't like physical contact, although they love to be around us. i'm positive your girls will be enjoying your company just as much as you're enjoying theirs, be patient and if they don't enjoy being touched it's probably because they've either got painful bones (as many ex-bats suffer with) or just aren't able to adapt to the physical affection after growing up in a cage. the best thing about ex-bats is that you always know how much your loved by them though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Completely agree with the above. When I brought my ex batts home, Bella very quickly established herself as top hen and was totally horrible to the others! It took a couple of weeks for the pecking order to settle down and little while longer for Bella to calm down. However she is now the most gentle, docile and sweet hen imaginable and was (until chicken of fate Lottie arrived and took the top spot) a wonderful top hen. The advice to put out extra food and water stations is excellent advice and made a big difference to my flock as they were settling. Whether or not you will be able to easily handle your hens I think seems to be a matter of luck with ex batts. Mine love being around me and will gladly hop up on my knee for a snooze (awwwww) but really dislike me picking them up or touching them. Basically, contact with humans has to be on their terms! They will tolerate being handled for treatment etc but it's always a 2 person job as there is generally a lot of struggling and wing flapping involved. However, I know others have ex batts who seem to enjoy being handled so maybe just give them time and patience and they will come round. I hope you are enjoying your girls and watching them grow in confidence and cheekiness day by day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
