Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[cd8jbr]

I am new to keeping chickens and have recently been lucky enough to get 5 ex-battery hens 2 quite well feathered, 2 less so and one quite threadbare but not 'oven ready'. My problem is that the most feathered hens (Henrietta and Dumpling)started to bully Noodle (the most threadbare one) chasing her every time she tried to eat or drink (despite there being 3 feeding and 2 drinking stations provided). They haven't as yet hurt her but she's reluctant to come down the ramp in the morning so I give her a pot of food while she's up there - but even then I have to prevent the others from going up to chase her off because the other two have joined in a bit with the bullying but not too bad. It seems it's 4 against one. I now have 4 food stations and 3 water stations in there but they still have a problem with her getting food. Noodle is very careful to bolt when she sees them coming to avoid trouble but it's a bit miserable for her when it's 4 against 1.

 

I've put corn on the cob in their run hanging from the ceiling but they have no idea what it is and just ignore it. I can't let them out just yet as they still have very weak legs (they've only been out of their battery cage since 23rd October) - I took them to the vet who said they are very underweight but otherwise healthy.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions regarding what i can do to make them behave a little bit better towards Noodle - or to distract them from thinking their only fun in life is having a go at her? I'm going to get some anti-pek solution to put on Noodle but haven't got any just yet.

 

Any ideas gratefully received.

[cavysqueak]

I've had a similar issue lately. However I only have three ex-battery girls, so its been two against one. I had to take out the hen who was the instigater of the bullying (the worst bully) and she was housed seperately for three and a half days. This allowed the skittish hen who was being bullied to build up a better relationship with the other hen. Then after a bit of time apart I put them back together and, although some bullying has continued, the skittish hen has more confidence to carry on as normal. I have to say that there was never any blood and the bullying was just chasing her back into the Eglu. They are now free-ranging with my other girls in the afternoons, although over night and in the morning they are seperate from them. The bully and the bullied hen are often seen eating and drinking togther as well!

 

I'm not sure if taking out both of the bullies will help or not, as you might end up with two seperate flocks(?!) Ex-battery hens are the worst I've had at integrating with each other. Probably because they are adult birds who haven't socialised earlier in their lives. Poor souls. Good luck, keep positive and do something pro-active and I'm sure things will work out.

[cd8jbr]

Thanks for that. I stood over Noodlethis morning while she had some food from the feeder on the floor in the run. I had to stop one of the hens having a go even then. When I went out later she was back on the table above the other hens where presumably she feels safest. I put some food on there for her so she can at least eat something easily.

 

I'm not sure whether this is prolonging the settling down period though or whether it's a good idea to allow her to live like this. She's quite nervous now and tends to run away from all the others. She appears perfectly healthy and luckily no blood has been drawn up to now so maybe it will settle down....but it's a horrible anxious wait and I feel so sorry for Noodle. I don't really have any means of separating them - I guess I could rig up something in the run but it might not be too effective and I'm wary of doing much when I'm not around to supervise in case of problems!

 

AAAARGH!

[cavysqueak]

We felt horrible as the new girls were already in our second run. The only other thing we had was a large indoor bird cage. It's about 80cm wide by 1m long by 80cm high. So we set it up with bark chippings in the bottom, a roost bar between the sides and food / water stations.

 

We sat her in the cage outside in a sheltered part of the garden where she could see our four 'original' girls during the day. I'm in during the day at the moment, so we put a temporary chicken wire fence around a patch of garden and I sat with her while she 'free-ranged' for a couple of hours each afternoon - I almost froze one day! Then we covered her over before it got dark at night, otherwise she got really stressed, then the cage came indoors for the night.

 

We're luck not to have any fox issues so it was safe to leave her outside just in the cage during the day. It wasn't the best solution, but it has meant that we've been able to keep all of the girls as I was considering having to rehome her (the bully) at one point. I'm so glad we didn't have to as she is now the sweetest girl (to us!). She is always around your feet, trying to see what you are doing, enjoying a cuddle and pecking at everything - including stripy socks!

 

It is heartbreaking having to seperate one from the others, but it was worth it just to give the bald, bullied hen a chance to get used to being with other hens. Remember they've been surrounded by other hens before, but they've had no chance to really inteact with them before.

 

Good luck.

[cd8jbr]

Update...Noodle is still being bullied - I have sprayed her with Anti Pek and go in to the WIR as often as possible and stand over her while she get some food. She gets very excited when she sees me coming as it's the only time she can eat and drink easily it seems - and even then the others will try to chase her away. I have chased the others away when they've tried to peck or chase her and even taken a water sprayer down to the run and sprayed any chicken who acted unsociably but it's not changed anything. I have 4 feeding areas for 5 chickens and 3 for drinking, they have corn on the cob hanging up (they still don't know what it is) a mixed grain 'treat' bar hanging on a wall and I put a cabbage in for them to peck at which they have discovered they quite like.

 

I don't have the facilities to easily remove the 2 major bullies so am just not sure what to do. I can't go to her aid as much as I'd like to and I'm worried that Noodle's not going to put the necessary weight on (it's still only 2 weeks since their re-homing) and get fit enough to cope with whatever this winter will throw at them. She is quite threadbare and today one of her tormentors pulled one of her feathers out - AFTER another dose of Anti Pek....Does anybody have ANY ideas? Poor Noodle's only relief is when I'm standing over her!

[WitchHazel]

Sorry to hear about Noodle, it's horrible when one Girl is being picked on.

 

I know you already have a number of food and drink stations, but is it possible for you to increase it further so that there is one more station than you have hens (so 6 stations for 5 hens), ideally all over the place inckuding up on the shelf.

There is no way that the hens can then "man" all the stations, so Noodle will be able to get some food in peace eventually.

 

I do this when I am merging flocks. When they settle down, I gradualy remove the food stations to a more sensible number.

 

Could you also perhaps put some vegetables, like half cabbages, or half iceberg lettuces, on the floor - away from the feeders.Noodle might not be able to get and eat the veggies, but she might be able to eat while the others are otherwise occupied.

 

Finally, any chance you can let then out into a small netted area, even if they can't free range completely yet? When th others go out, Noodle will be able to eat in peace.

 

Hope you fnd a solution. It WILL settle down eventually, but it's heart wrenching in the meantime.

[chickenNutter]

Commiserations, it is horrible to watch. I had problems integrating 2 new chickens to 3 established ones months ago. One of the established chooks was a terrible bully and in the end I removed her and took her to a chook keeping friend hoping that the rest of them would bond, which eventually they did. (Sadly the bully escaped from my friends and was never seen again- but that's another story)

 

I think I would try and divide up your run keeping Noodle separate but visible and close by and treat it like the start of a new introduction again, even if it is a bit of a Heath Robinson arrangement of home made barriers hopefully she will re-feather in the meantime put on weight and get healthier, and the others wont see her so much as a victim, and will be more accustomed to her being around. Then start free ranging them together for short periods under constant supervision etc. It sounds like it will be a long job, and she will always be the bottom of the pecking order, but hopefully it will improve. There are numerous threads on introductions which have useful advice on here. Hope this helps.

[cd8jbr]

Thanks for that - I will put out more feeders and I'll put out more veg (they are learning slowly that these are edible) I have a large garden (by town standards - about 100x70 feet) and eventually they will have that to roam around in - when supervised of course but I guess my first stop this morning is to get more feeders and enough net to let them have a limited range and hope that gives poor Noodle some relief at least for a while.

 

I will try anything...I just hate to see Noodle so unhappy. The others seem to be having a ball acting like 'real' chickens for the first time in their lives and they've taken to scratching in the litter and dust bathing like a duck to water - but they guard food like rottweillers, chase like collies and nip like terriers.

 

Thanks again, I'll keep you posted. I have read lots of forums about bullying but I guess it aways seems different when it's your chickens...and I'm still very new to chickens. I do love having them though - I think they're great and I'm so looking forward to them being happy and settled.

[Lydia]

Sorry to hear of your woes. Ex-bats are wonderful but can be quite nasty until they settle especially about food and drink because that's all they know. You sound very caring and certainly spraying the anti peck spray is a good step.

 

I've had several ex-bats over the years and there does always seem to be one that is much lower down the pecking order than the others. It depends on your hen but some cope with being bottom better than others.

 

You could separate Noodle but it's a step I would take only if I thought she was really not coping. It's also harder to intergrate a lone hen back in afterwards. However, you may find that it gives her a chance of respite and a chance to grow some feathers. I separated No-tail from her ex-bat group because she was just so scared of everyone and everything including hubby and I. We found that, once she grew some feathers, she was a lot more confident and able to cope in her group.

 

I do find that providing a perch or somewhere higher up out of the way often helps the bullied hen because she can keep out the way. You could also get a coop cup or something that will fix to the bars so she has a food and drink station by her perch. Once she feels able she will gradually intergrate herself back into the group.

 

One thing I wouldn't worry too much about is them being to weak to freerange. If you have no other hens that will beat them up then I would let them out, under close supervision, now to be honest. They will love it and it will give Noodle a break too. I doesn't have to be for a long period initially.

 

Good luck with everything.

[cd8jbr]

To be honest the only reason I was going to restrict their being out is down to the size of the garden and the number of trees and bushes in it which would make trying to get them back to their run a nightmare if they didn't co-operate. My neighbours have hens (not ex-batt) and they had a problem for a while getting them back in but now they have no problem as their hens would sell their souls for some bread! Usually I would have my sister to call on for assistance/reassurance but this weekend she was busy so it's probably more me being a coward than anything else which made me put if off. They do love scratching around in their run now and I'm sure they are ready for it - Saturday was spent trying to make sure there were no holes they could get through to escape and so I think next weekend they will be allowed into the great outdoors.

 

I've added more feeders and drinkers, more lettuce and more cabbage (they still haven't figured out they can eat sweetcorn). I have put food on Noodle's favourite hiding place and make sure she gets enough to eat. I have no idea what a coup cup is but I'll find out and get one if it will help. At the moment the run looks like an assault course with various feeders/vegetables hanging all over the place but....you've got to do what you can for them. I will do my best to ensure Noodle gets her share of the food and hopefully she will re-feather and beef up quickly - it's just the others have such a head start on her!

[Embilly]

Hello,

 

I'm mainly encho - ing the above posts, we had a similar problem when we first started keeping chickens (about 4 months ago -so still quite new!), we have 2 ex bats and one hybrid, and the bullying to begin with was horrible. it sounds quite like your situation, no blood drawn (though i though it may come) but Lette hiding in the coop, not getting at the food,being chased all the time etc. I thought I may need to find her a new home! Anti peck didn't help at all!

 

A few things really helped, the water sprayer was one, we consistantly sprayed the main bully when she chased etc, and she seemed to got to know and just a wave of the sprayer was enough!

 

Putting a perch also helped, Lette jumped up on it to get out of the way! Also all the hanging food bits etc though I'm not sure thow much they impacted

 

We also let the bully's out, and kept Lette in the run, allowing her not only to eat and drink, but also to get a bit more confident in there. Free ranging all togther also seemed to gt them used to each other, with a bit more running away space and us able to get in the way (or wave the sprayer)

 

It took quite a long time, a few weeks at least to calm, adn probably a month before it stopped completely, but they now all get on really well, its hard to believe I was so worried at the beginning, I think being new to chickens, and not knowing how much is too much is scary - so hang on in there, if there's no blood she's mainly OK, and will almost certainly settle.

[cd8jbr]

I did try spraying the main bully but I can't be there often enough during the week for it to be really effective. I let them out this week and the first one out was poor bullied Noodle, who is always the first to try anything new - then gets pushed out of the way by all the others! They all went out and at first didn't seem to really know what to do but Noodle figured out it was her chance to eat as much as she wanted without them interfering so she was in the run as much as she was out of it! They all pecked about for a bit and walked around exploring but did little real foraging. They stayed out about an hour and a half then went back in - obviously enough excitement for one day.

 

I let them out today and they were out from 10.30 to nearly 2.30 and they had an absolute ball. They pecked and scratched and investigated and explored and generally had a ball. The weather wasn't so nice as it was dismal and dampish all day but they didn't seem to mind. It was lovely to see them acting like 'real' chickens! Even outside Noodle is chased unfortunately but maybe when she gets her full feathers in (she's still way more scrawny and bald than the others) it'll change.

 

I don't think the bullying is as bad as it has been and there's never been blood drawn, it's more chasing her from the food but that could be because she runs away all the time now. I'm still hopeful it'll settle down - they've only been out 3 weeks so there's still time....isn't there?

 

 

I do love them though - and I love to watch them learning to be chickens and having a ball in the garden, and in their run...

 

Quick question though - how old are they likely to be? I can age a horse and estimate a dog or cat but chickens....no idea!

[KimmyCustard]

I do sympathise with you CD, one of my girls is being bullied, although I'm still not sure which one is bullying her! I've had the girls from POL since March and they have grown lots, had feather pulling issues (and still do ) but they are all laying and are a pleasure to have.

 

I found Marge yesterday with a pecked comb and a little dried blood on it, I picked her up and checked it, sprayed some violet spray and she seems fine today. I think it's Bertha that is bullying her, she has always been top chook but then Marge has taken to telling Dotty off, so they all seem to do it - even after 8 months of living together! I am off work now for 4 days so I shall get into the run and sit with them and see who's doing what and when

 

Hope your Noodle is OK and integrates soon, they're lovely but a real worry arent they?!

[cd8jbr]

I thought I'd update on Noodle and her being bullied....I think the worst is over now and they seem to have settled down a lot in the last couple of weeks or so. Noodle is no longer the scrawny bird - she now looks like a real hen (or pretty close)! She's a size smaller than the others and is still quite respectful but there's nowhere near the worry and she no longer retreats to the 'upstairs'. Dumpling did pluck a beakful of feathers in the garden the other day from Noodle's neck when she didn't give way at the mealworm feast but that's the worst that seems to have happened recently and Noodle is no longer alone all the time and scared of her own shadow. When I open their run Noodle is always the first out whether she has to go over, under or round the others! She would leave Hussain Bolt wondering what had happened she's so fast!

 

I am so glad I got my girls, and it's been fascinating to watch them transform from scrawny, skinny, bare a**ed chooks into nice, healthy feathered hens. I get up every morning to let them out of their eglu around 5.30 - 6am with a warm mash (there's light in the garden from a street light and they are hungry by then) then when it's light they get cleaned out and given their treats (mealworm and cabbage usually, sometimes some mixed corn) then they spend their days playing in their run or scratching round the garden...they're brilliant. Even the dog loves them (although she does pinch their mash if they aren't looking)!

 

I just wish I had the facilities to take more girls in - they are rehoming in Stocksfield this weekend but,sadly, I have nowhere I can put any new hens - and I feel awful about it.