3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[percy049]

does anyone else usually have chickens near or at the bottom of the pecking order, pecked out by higher ranking hens in the dust bath? Is it also usual for the lower ranking chickens to make the dust bath first?

[Eggasperated]

I've had quite a few issues over pecking and squabbling in the dust bath and last time I found one of my girls with a pecked comb so at the weekend I filled two dust baths for them and eventually they sorted themselves out so that Alice (head girl) had one to herself, the three newer girls squashed into the other one, and poor Carol had to bath in the dust that spilt on to the floor.

 

Mind you when everyone else had finished Carol rushed to and fro having a flap about in both of the baths so I think they were all happy in the end .

[Lavenders_Blue]

My lowest ranking hen, Queenie, is often one of the first in the dust bath. The others do peck at her or try and scratch her out of the way, but she's a tough little thing and usually refuses to budge! They get bored in the end and leave her be until she's finished

She's usually in there with second in command Dorothy who is the queen of dustbathing and has developed some special dustbathing techniques to ensure she gets maximum space available.

(My top hen doesn't usually get a look in until all the others have finished )