Cranfield Kate Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 last week one of my girls got taken by a fox while free ranging. they'd been FR'ing for two years with no problems. so now the remaining 4 are confined to their run which is pretty big but not much fun after all their freedom. the worst of it is that it seems to have upset the group dynamic really badly. Atilla was always a nsaty piece of work but top hen Boadacea kept her in check usually. Bertha never hurt anyone but was alwyas really noisy. now Atilla and Bertha both terrorise poor Scrawny and Boad does nothing to help her. Scrawny spends most of her day sat in the nesting box avoiding Atilla and Bertha. any time she appears they pounce on her. I've sprayed her with anti peck and put vaseline on her comb. when I can, I let her out to have a FR on her own (which drives Bertha up the wall) with me supervising but i can't be out there all day. and I can't let them FR unsupervised as a flock because of the fox. today I did let them all out for a bit while I kept track from the kitchen but even then Scrawny stayed in the nesting box. my concern isn;t over them FR'ing - they'll just have to get used to smaller quarters, but I am VERY worried about Scrawny. what an utterly miserable life she must be leading right now. any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Guess its early days for sorting out pecking order still, so sure they will settle down eventually. Would it be worth having just one out FR with Scrawny at a time so they can sort themselves out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Kate Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 don't know... do you think it might just be them sorting out the pecking order now they are one less? the one who went wasn't top hen or bottom hen though - she was very middly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Well Boad will still be top hen but others will have to move around Have you tried spraying the baddies when they go for scrawny? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I can sympathize, watching a hen being bullied is hard Have you tried giving them toys and hanging veg for them to play with to distract them? It does sound like they will sort things out eventually though. As you say they need to re establish the pecking order and them being in the run won't help matters. (But at least they are safe) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Kate Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 they won't play with ANYTHING! they're not interested in anything but treats on the floor or in bowls - anything else they just look at and then ignore. do you mean spray the baddies with water? if i am there and see it i give them a poke (sort of like trying to show that I am top chicken). but I am not there all the time. and yesterday I ended up getting in a very childish s"Ooops, word censored!" with Bertha that ended in me chasing her round the garden in my nightie and wellies. honestly, if they were edible I'd be having a big dinner party with them as the centrepiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Oh heck. Have you got perches, pots, piles of bricks, logs etc., for her to run behind and get away from the others or leap onto. I find that an obstacle soon distracts the bully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 and yesterday I ended up getting in a very childish s"Ooops, word censored!" with Bertha that ended in me chasing her round the garden in my nightie and wellies. honestly, if they were edible I'd be having a big dinner party with them as the centrepiece. sorry what an image! Yes squirt them with water it just shocks them. Could you put the bullied one with one of the nicer ones and separate them off for a while to bond? Plum just posted, I did as she suggested and it seemed to help. Thanks plum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Kate Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 thanks all - i will build an obstacle course for them and see if that gets Scrawny some respite. poor little thing. makes me so mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy chick Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Hows it going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
