Chicken bald back

[good_egg]

All was fine yesterday morning. Then we took Connie to vet yesterday afternoon and its all gone wrong. Connie has bumble foot so came home with dressing and baby sock to cover and was gone in total about an hour... When we let her back in with the others Annette started pinning and pecking her - sort of jumping at her and grabbing feathers. Spent all evening in garden so they could have lots of room. Hoped they would get up this morning and all would be sorted but having just been to check (super early as couldn't sleep) it is not. Annette is still jumping at Connie and Buffy is doing a milder version to Annette. I can't take the stress!!

 

I'm confused as it all seems to have stemmed from the vet trip but only Annette seems bothered by Connie and Connie isn't acting ill at all. Do I take Annette out for a bit and return her and see if that re-establishes harmony? Or do I just sit it out, but how long will it take? Just want them to get on like normal, this is stressing me out!!

[Egghead68]

Do you think it's because of the sock?

[good_egg]

We wondered that so took the sock off just leaving some micropore tape but still the same. Boo.

[good_egg]

Arghhhhh... This morning Annette is still jumping on Connie and grabbing her neck feathers. It's horrible to watch. We spent yesterday spraying her whenever she did it and it seems to have made no difference. Will it sort itself out or does this sound more like bullying than pecking order? Any suggestions?

[gavclojak]

try her with bumpa bits, that will give her something to think about!!! naughty girl

[good_egg]

She is getting worse if anything.... It's painful to watch as she kind of stalks Connie around and then jumps on her... It's not like the back of the neck pecks that B dishes out to keep her in line.

 

Have ordered bumpa bits but they won't arrive until Monday. Also spoke to the breeder who thinks she might not be right and possibly be showing male tendencies - her advice was to cull.... Annette has always been a little different, she had one blind eye when we got her, goose steps sometimes and although she is a year old she has never laid despite a huge comb and wattles.... We love her, but I'm starting to really go off her with all the bullying of poor Connie. The whole hen house is on edge and its just horrible.

 

I don't know what to do

[jimnpaula]

Time to remove the bully and house her somewhere else methinks.