Unsecure chicken perches

[The Rivetts]

I've been having a real problem with my ladies eating each others feathers - they now have bare red bottoms.

I was offered a bantam cockerel, and thought that having a chap around may help, but with a bantam I wouldn't run the risk of fertilised eggs.

The ladies [there are three - a sussex, a speckledy and a black rock] are not at all impressed , and are giving him a really hard time - they drew blood from his comb. We have put him in an enclosed run within their run, so everyone can see everyone else, but not attack. We give them supervised exposure [only been 2 days though].

Am I on a hiding to nothing, where they won't accept the poor chap ever, or do I persevere?

Any advice from anyone with a similar situation would be much appreciated.

[Patricia W]

If they are full size and he's a bantam, unless he's exceptional, they'll eat him for breakfast! Having a cockerel won't stop the feather pulling. If you've tried everything else, I'd resort to bumpa bits. They do work, and after 5 mins they forget they are there.

[Redwing]

If the cockerel isnt mature they will run rings round him, keep him separate for a while. If he isnt particularly young add the most docile of your hens to him once his wounds have healed then re-introduce those as a pair once they have settled

 

When he is fully mature he should take charge easily

 

You'll still get fertilised eggs if you have a bantam cockerel, their cunning and flexibility knows no bounds. You can still eat fertilised eggs though, they dont taste any different

 

Good luck with it

[The Rivetts]

Just a quick update - 10 days on we have successful integration.

Bumpa bits on the ladies have stopped them attacking each other and him.

They all spent their first night together last night, and it seems to have improved the situation even further. Barry the Bantam is not spending much time on top of the house, but is pecking and scratching just like the others. Result