Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[sandyhas3chucks]

I have taken on 2 older ladies as the owners had not enough time to give them the life they wanted for them.

This will be their 3rd Summer, they have always been a happy "pair" chook 1 is now dominant and plucks the new feathers from chook 2. Chook 2 used to be in charge but I new them well at home and never saw any aggresion. However chook one became head when chook 2 became poorly at Easter (this was not treated and she ended with a meat lump attached to her clocoa outside her body for 4 days unrtreated)

I suspect the balance of power shifted as tehy were still pals at Easter.

So WHAT TO DO PLEASE.

obviously any blood removed. she is sprayed an attractive purple and stinks of net tex Anti peck , which to my horror is UCADEX!!!!

And it makes not a jot of difference as soon as she is within striking distance out comes another juicy bloody new feather.(clearly a delicacy)

Both of them are very aggresive towards my ex bats and I was not planning to integrate them.

yesterday in the rain I separated them and let picked on have the run and go to bed before I let her sister in.

But any suggestions would be great .. thanks.

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

We had a problem with one of ours suddenly starting to feather pull in March. The only thing you can do is REMOVE the offender from the others. It took 4 months for ours to pack in her bad behaviour but she is now back in with the others and has not resorted to fether pulling since her return 3 weeks ago.

 

We tried to reintegrate her once before at 2.5 months and she started again after 2 days. A quick removal back to solitary reinforced to her that she would not be part of the flock whle she carried on this behaviour.

 

Have to say she is reformed since her return!

 

One of the keys to the success we believe was that she was in a run next to the flock but unable to join in. As chickens are essentially flock creatures it would have sent a clear message...."classic operant conditioning" at work!

 

Hope this is helpful. Don't give up. We did think at one stage we might have to get rid of her but it came out good. It also let the feathers grow back on the others, so will allow wounds to heal in your case.

[sandyhas3chucks]

thanks you for replying, was not sure if to do this as there are only the 2 ! BUT both can be somewhere where they can see the other or others, just not at bed time. I assume once the yummy new feathers are bigger and less obvious she might also stop?

It is not like the "classic" bullying I am used to with ex bats!!!

guess I was hoping for a quick fix, like try this spray works a treat!" hey ho...

ta

[Egluntyne]

If she is causing injuries, I would resort to a bumpa bit.

[sandyhas3chucks]

fortunately not injurys as such...

just plucking out a yummy new feather in passing.. not chasing her or anything. .. though she was after her vebnt when the meat was attached and semi prolapsed. (i was cross they took 4 days to get her to the vret, they kept saying they thought she would have to be pts !, would I have the lone girl!) I am sure this was when.where it started!

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

Have you a pecker block. The best we've found is Uncle Jimmy's Pecker Reckers. They're large and last ages. Cost varies but no more than £6.50 each (we bulk ordered & brought the price down to £5 each inc. p&p.)

 

The other thing is to ensure they've got enough oystershell. We have extra separate from the mixed grit as they eat more of it in the evenings to help egg production. Feather pulling & eating can be an indicator of mineral deficiency as well as just bad behaviour.

 

Hope it goes well.