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AJuff

Three days of scrapping, how much longer?

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I can't bear watching the s"Ooops, word censored!"ping that goes on between our three new hens. Daisy the white hybrid dominates the run and is definately the boss. She gives Delia the brown nick such a lot of pecking. She cowers down and takes it poor thing. She also tries to pull the tail feathers out of Darcy the Black rock.

 

Today I had to shut Daisy in the eglu just to give the others a breathing space from her and catch up on eating and drinking. Daisy controls the run and despite putting food out at the other end of the run she is still in control. She eats the food outside the door of the eglu so the others can't get out. Very intimidating. How long will this go on for? At the moment i feel like giving Daisy away as the other two get on so well.

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It is so hard to watch them establish themselves isn't it? :? But stick with it, they will calm down. They reckon it can take about 3 weeks altogether. Just keep doing what you are doing - make sure they all have access to food and water and seperate them for short periods to give them a breather. But try not to do it unless really necessary. They have to do this, hard as it is! :D

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Exactly the same happened to me, like you I put food and water in 2 areas of the run, but Phoebe would dominate both. She even chased Daphne into the eglu and prevented her from leaving (after plucking a few feathers out) :evil: ! I was getting desparate, but after 1 week, it completly resolved, and they now live happily. Stick with it

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We found something called Bitter beak.

 

It is supposed to deter birds from plucking out their own feathers, but you could try it on the others tail feathers to deter the bully.

 

Our white chooks were a bit stroppy with the brown ones, until they got their own back and wouldnt let the white ones in the pent-house.

it seemed to be a "be nice or you dont sleep upstairs", they have settled right down. :?

 

Hope they settle down soon, its not nice watching them fight is it. :(

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Introducing little ones to big ones seems harder to me than introducing ones of the same size was. And I am afraid that without question my hens are colour-prejudiced. They would not accept the Gingernut at first, but it was OK after a fortnight; but now that they have got used to her they won't accept the white little one, so I am keeping them in the Eglu run for the moment but letting them out together.

 

What is really terrifying is when the bigger hen gets the little one down on the ground and it lies completely still on its back and appears to be dead. I was terrified when I first saw this. I am getting tougher now: it all seems to be some sort of formulaic ritual that they have to go through.

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I'm pleased to report that things are settling down in the hen house. Daisy has calmed down and i am delighted to see them all out in the run together. We gave them a first taste of freedom today, they enjoyed exploring the garden but I'm starting to think it may not be as hen proof as I thought. They jumped onto the wall and could easily have jumped up onto the fence from there and out of the garden. Time to rethink . . . .

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Yes, I clipped them yesterday following the advice on Omlet. I don't feel confident to let them out during the day whilst I'm at work just yet. They have an hour or so free ranging when i get home until I hen proof the garden.

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