Mrs

[Roobaloo]

Nutmeg arrived 5th March and seems to be quite...unnerved. She's currently on her own as Apple (who was going to be her coop-mate) reacted very aggressively to her. So she's now on her own, next to the rest of the girls. She generally isn't doing a great deal but I imagine a lot of a hens activities are triggered by other hens (competition to find something first, interest in what another is doing etc) so I can understand that. However, she's barely eating. When I let her out to free range, she'll scratch and pecking for goodies in the soil and she will eat a little corn...but her feeder hasn't reduced in volume at all, she's just not eating.

 

I put the big girls feeder next to the trelis, so she could watch them...it seemed to put her off. I've replaced her feeder so it's the same as the others...but still nothing.

 

She's been reluctant to drink too, only drinking when she's on her way back into the run and walks through the others section, she'll stop by their drinker (she know has that drinker...but still doesn't seem to drink much) She's lost a little weight, but I assume part of that is the trauma of moving to a new home full of unsociable hens.

 

I've made her a warm mash from layers pellets with some goodies in it...she's mainly picking out the goodies but I'm hoping she'll get some of the mash too.

They're on Spillers Layers Pellets, I've never had any problems with birds eating it before!!

 

Any tips or advice?

[coco]

When I got my first hens they refused to eat Spillers pellets, I ended up getting them mash and gave the pellets away. I now have all my girls on Smallholder pellets and they are fine. I did buy a bag of Dodson and Horrell a while ago and they weren't very keen on them.

[lillybettybabs]

Mine seem to thrive on mash but hate the pellets, i use Omletes own brand food and they love it.

[Roobaloo]

I've had no problem with Spillers, in fact it's been the easiest to feed. I tried them on mash (I think one was Spillers and the other was Wiggly Wigglers own brand) but they wasted SO much, picking out the best bits and the rest being flicked onto the floor.

 

They objected when I first switched them back to pellets but have been eating well since....until Nutmeg!

[Roobaloo]

I've ground them down to the size of growers pellets (and mash) and she's eating with passion...I'm guessing she just didn't understand that pellets were food!!

[Henslaved]

Glad she is eating , but referring to your original post, I thought you were supposed to remove the aggressive hen to knock her down a peg or two ?