MissPug+Chooks Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Hello. I am so worried and I am at the end of my tether now. I have a hen that has been bullied since October roughly and it isn't getting better. I have 3 hens - 2 Omlet Girls and 1 other (rescue). In October we rescued one hen and added her slowly to our flock where she quickly became top of the pecking order. Then suddenly the hen at the bottom of the pecking order has being feather pecked - she has one leg after surviving a fox attack. Since then I have tried: - Nettex Anti - Peck spray - Bumper Bit on rescue hen (she was the original offender) - Johnson's Anti -Peck Spray - More Free Ranging - Built a massive 6' x 9' WIR with ladders, branches, dustbath etc - Nettex Anti-Peck again - Mealworms - Protein Supplement -Water Tonics -Anti Mite Powder -Wormed ....and it is still going. The victim has now lost all of her tail feathers, belly feathers, thigh feathers and now is getting bruising where they will not stop pecking. I have a separate run where I separate the original offender, and the 2 hens left take it in turn to free range because I am so worried that if left together the victim is going to have her skin broken. I have no idea what else I can do now; the poor victim is still laying and is otherwise healthy with the exception of her being one legged. Can someone please offer me some advise as to what to do next? I can't stand it anymore and at this rate I will just rehome the 2 bullies and keep 'hoppy' - and get some bantams to keep her company....I'm so worried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Sorry to hear about your problem. Is the original offender separated permanently? When she is separated, how do the other two behave towards the poor victim? Is there one that is less aggressive than the other? If so, I would be tempted to keep the most docile hen and the victim together in one run, and the other two together in another run, all within sight of each other. Keep them like that for a while, until the victim has feathered up and there are no bare patches and she, hopefully, gains some confidence. It is a horrible situation - I have a little bantam who is very much bottom of the pecking order, and I have agonised over the best way of making her life better. In the end, I decided on the risky strategy of letting them all free range all day, and she just does her own thing quite happily. She is still threadbare in patches, but at least she can run away from the others now. I thought about getting her a couple of little friends and separating her completely from the others, but there is no guarantee that she would be top chook in a new set up. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Thanks for your reply. Its good (in a way) to hear that I'm not the only one suffering this! Both of the other hens are adamant to keep pecking so I think I will probably have to put 'hoppy' - the victim in a run by herself next to the others so she feathers up and hopefully there will be less temptation for the others to peck her. I am so shocked that the situation has gotten this bad especially with the bumpa bit fitted! Hopefully when we get our grass back they can have some more time FR but until then they are in their WIR. Is there any other anti-pek that anyone knows of that would be effective? I was contemplating using a chicken saddle but is getting warm now which worries me a bit.. poor hoppy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Have you tried Ukadex or Stockholm Tar? Ukadex is absolutely vile-smelling so worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Do you know where I can get it from? How does stocklholm tar work? Is it same for them - pruning etc? Not that there are many feathers to prune!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I got my Ukadex online, but can't remember the name of the supplier. Google should provide some stockists though. I have used Stockholm Tar, and just covered any bare patches with it. The hens concerned were not bothered by it - no feathers so no preening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 oh lordy i hate hate hate stockholm tar.. I kno others use it, but I would never again put a hen through it... and it did not work for me.. What did was the bigger run as you have and a bale of straw. and a friend hours of watched free ranging and montgs and months of integration. Sadly there are occasions when one will never leave another alone however long you try... this has happened twice to me both times as it happens with a new rescued girl, and both times they would/will kill my little disabled girl It is a massive pain good luck eta Ucadex did nothing either!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 Thanks for your thoughts I have decided to keep her seperate until she has all of her feathers back as i am hoping that once the quills and red skin in covered with feathers that there will no longer be a temptation; for anyone else in my position i would highly recommend this as her quills and feathery bits are growing back really quick and its only been 3 days of seperation from the others - goes to show that these poor hens must go through 24/7 of being pecked to get to an 'oven ready' stage! I couldnt afford another run so what i have done is kept the 2 bullies in the WIR and re-assembled half of the run that came with my eglu, covered it with an eglu shade, chucked a cat box with some shavings in and another feeder and drinker and proped the 'open end' against the wall with some bricks to hold the skirt down - not at all fox proof but *touch wood* I've never had a problem so I am hoping that this will be an effective way of getting her re-feathered again! Hoppy chicken is FR around the garden as she cant scratch up all the new grass seeing as she is one-legged! I have to say (and i hope i dont get in trouble for promoting!) that The Chicken Vet Amino + liquid that i got from Countrywide is fantastic....her comb has returned to bright red and the feather re-growth is great. I have even put some in for the other 2 girls incase they are suffering a lack of protein and they look a bit healthier too. Fingers crossed this all works out, if not i will have to convince hubby to let me have anothere run (not going to go down too well after he just built the WIR to rerduce the risk of over crowding!) Xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 It has taken 6 weeks for some of mine to "totally" refeather. the others as you say do love the new quills lors of protein... Please lock the cat box at bedtime and if possible put it safe in the fox proof WIR ,, many people think just because they never have had a fox problem they never will. Foxes are extremely hungry with either young cubs to feed or mims "in cub" ... it would be awful shame to save her from the bullies and feed her to the foxes. Can you perhaps get a piece of weldmesh for approx £5 from wicks or a garden center and cable tie it . also if there is no Eglu to give extra stability to the run(think fox about size of a springer spaniel sitting on top.) check all the clips and maybe cable tie it. Another aid would be simply to poke a piece of 2x1 wood through the run (this also creates a perch for her) then nail a cable clip either side to keep in place, (thiis gives the run more stability in the absence of the Eglu itself. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Hello! Hoppy chicken is featehring up nicely! She hasnt laid for ages but im wondering if thats because all of her energy is going into growing her feathers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 mine did for sure.. they need that rest x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissPug+Chooks Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 I was thinking of getting a bantam friend with feathery feet to wander around the garden with hoopy chicken during the day (hoping that it wouldn't scratch up the grass to badly) but not sure about when we fully integrate hoppy chicken (+ friend) back into the WIR and therefore end up with either both being bullied or the little one trying to put up with our Omlet girls?! Would be lovely to get a little friend for 'hoppy' and I would hope because the bantam should have 2 legs that it can get away a lot easier than hoppy should she be pecked/feather pulled?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimmyCustard Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Nothing has worked for me so far either, Bertha is not bald but she doesnt have a lot of feathers on the bottom area! I have put a bumpa bit on Marge who is the main offender but it doesnt appear to have done a lot. Stockholm tar is good for sealing wounds but didnt stop Marge, nor did Nettex spray. My auntie recommended soap on the bare patches, soap from a bar as opposed to a pump, apparently hens hate the taste! I am yet to try it....... Extra protein for Hoppy will help her feather growth - I give mine cat food, a sachet between 5, they love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Why not get a seperate run and pekin friend and let them live seperately and it won't matter if they don't integrate again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
