Take part in study on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in eggs

[frogprincess]

Hello,

 

I badly need advice on integration of POL pullets with 2-3 year old hens, and also with egg-eating. Please read below (I'm sorry it's so long) and help me if you can

 

I have two girls, Tibshelf and Pease Pottage, who are almost three years old in a Cube with run plus WIR and extension. Two new pullets, Corley and Woolley Edge, arrived on Thursday 26th and there has been nothing but trouble ever since. The very nice man from Omlet who brought them suggested separating them until bedtime, and then mixing them for the night, and then keeping them together during the day. He said there would be s"Ooops, word censored!"s whilst they sorted out the pecking order, but that it would eventually settle down.

 

I made sure that there were two grubs and two glugs, plus one Super glug, at different places around the run, as well as a couple of trugs and cardboard boxes for hidey holes, and crossed my fingers.

 

Well, the two older girls started really going for the two newbies, chasing them into the cube every time they came out, so they weren't getting much to eat or drink unless I was there to cover them. Every time I went into the run they ran for me and flew up (despite a clipped wing each) onto my back as I was closing the WIR top door (I wasn't even particularly hunched over), and every time I left the run, they'd get hounded back into the cube. So, after a couple of days of this, I decided to separate them for most of the time, keeping the two new girls in my now spare bit of cube run extension (which I have laced to the side of the WIR with string, and pegged down) with their own food and drink. I take them out mid-morning and then replace them in the main run just before dusk. This, at least, meant they could eat and drink. I did this on Mon, Tues and Weds.

 

On Weds late afternoon, I found Tibshelf, the older bottom chicken, pecked to bits and bleeding in the main run, with Pease, the grumpy , the only possible culprit. Treated her with warm water and purple spray, and doused her in anti-pecking stuff, but she seemed to decline very quickly, and was propping herself up with the corner of the WIR, unable to support her own weight. If she did come away from the side, she fell over sideways. Seeing this, I scooped her up in a box and took her to the vet, who gave her intravenous fluids and an anti-inflammatory. After a night in a warm kitchen, she woke up seemingly good as new on Thursday, but I kept her in the extension and the other three in the main run (supervising food and water intake for the pullets), and merged her with the others at nightfall.

 

This morning, I was late coming out to separate the pullets (maybe ten thirty) and opened the pop hole of the cube to coax them out. I was aghast to find Woolley Edge with dried yolk on her beak and a smashed, weak egg in the nesting area. Either she was hungry, as Pease wouldn't let her out to eat, or she clumsily stood on the flimsy egg and it broke, tempting her to try it.

 

I went into egg eating overdrive (it's never happened before, but I've read about it), putting the two pullets in the extension/isolation area/prison with a cardboard box on its side containing bedding onto which I'd placed a rubber egg and two mustard-filled shells. They tried them all, and didn't seem to enjoy the mustard at all. I have also put a tea towel over the entrance to the nesting area.

 

Tomorrow, I'll try to separate them nice and early, and get eggs promptly (though only one has been laying for the last few days - pretty sure it's Tibshelf from the colour).

 

I really need advice and help with what to do next - any ideas, pretty, pretty please?

[The Dogmother]

Have you checked the introductions thread in the FAQ section?

 

They really need to be kept apart for at least a week, not least for quarantine purposes.

[frogprincess]

Have you checked the introductions thread in the FAQ section?

 

They really need to be kept apart for at least a week, not least for quarantine purposes.

 

I have read that now, but it conflicts with what the man from Omlet told me, and I really regret now reading up on the matter more carefully in advance.

 

I would love to keep them apart, but I only have one house, so I'm limited at the moment to separating them during the day

 

Any advice on what to do about the situation we're now in? I would love to hear from anyone who's been through something similar.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

I would suggest borrowing some extra housing; an old rabbit hutch or dog crate will be fine, try freecycle/freegle.

 

The Omlet drivers are lovely and some actually have their own chickens, but not all of them are versed in poultry keeping.

[Egluntyne]

Are your chickens called after motorway service stations?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've always had to separate mine when doing introductions. Sounds like you have ample space for making separate accommodation. The newbies will be absolutely fine sleeping in a plastic pet carrier (I got one for £20 from Pets at Home). Can you leave the old girls in the cube plus run and put the newbies into your WIR?

[Clucking_Mad]

Hi Frogprincess, we originally got 2 girls when we started to keep chickens last year and we totally fell in love with them and after around four months of having them we decided to get another girl we went back to the place we brought our original 2 girls from and asked how we go about introducing a new girl and if it would even be possible the advice we were given was to just put the new girl in with the other 2 and let them sort it out and it will be fine. I wasn't happy with this but we did try and just as thought it didn't work and our new girl was getting pecked like crazy.

 

At that time all we had was the eglu classis with the run attached and we attached some extra garden wire to that run so our girls had more room to move around in. So what we did was put our original 2 girls (Vera and Phyllis) in the run that was attached to the eglu and closed the door and put the new girl (Ethel) in our home made run.

 

We made sure that they all had food and water and we put the food and water on wire that seperated the girls so they were eating and drinking together and could see and smell each other so they could get used to each other.

 

We only had the eglu so we had nothing else for Ethel to sleep so I used the basket that I use to take the cats to the vets and put some bedding in it. When it came to bed time and Vera and Phyllis had put themselves to bed I would close the eglu door and then Ethel would be in the cat basket so I would move this into the eglu run and gently get her out of it and then open up the eglu door again and gently guide her into the coop.

 

Because Vera and Phyllis had been in bed for sometime they would be in that sleepy state so Ethel could get into the coop with no problem. We just had to make sure we was up at first light to get Ethel back into the home made run before Vera and Phyllis were awake to start bullying again. We eneded up doing this for around 2 months as we did keep on trying to get them to all mingle but Vera really didn't like Ethel during that time we built a 3m x 3m WIR and also purchased some bumper bits for Vera and Phyllis once the WIR was built and ready we put the bumper bits on Vera and Phyllis and moved all 3 hens in at the same time. There was a few hiccups but nothing to bad and after a week the pecking order was sorted and now they all get along and Vera is always by Ethles side and they all cuddle up at night.

 

It was hard work but it was totally worth it. I hope this helps in some way and I hope your girls all get along soon