Solitary chicken - need advice

[ankerson]

We've had chickens for over ten years and we've never come across the problem of introducing new hens to such an extent as the new ones we have now. We bought two beautiful hybrids (Bobby and Max) about six weeks ago, and there was immediate hatred from our existing three (Charlie, Fred and Bernie). About a week ago, poor Bobby was attacked so violently that she has a huge gash across her neck from being pecked, where the gang of three hold her down and take turns to slash her. Since then, we've separated them, allowing the new girls to freerange, while the gang has been confined to the Cube run.

 

As a final resort, since gentle introduction has not worked, we bought some bumpa bits and consulted the forums for instructions on how to fit them, but we're baffled. The circlips we bought from Omlet come with a load of different attachments, and the bits themselves have a curious dangly bit on the clip end, which we don't understand. Does anyone have any knowledge of a) which end to put on the circlips, b) where on the bumpa bit to insert the circlip, c) what's the dangly bit for and d) do the things actually work if we do manage to fit them?

 

Thanks in advance

Distressed of Bucklebury

 

Charlie - white Sussex

Bernie - indeterminate stripy chicken

Fred - indeterminate grey chicken

Bobby - white

Max - brown

Also:

RIP - George, Harry, Joe, Vivian and Sam

[Beantree]

Google 'Bumpa beak bits' Anderson. In the results is an article in 'poultrykeeperforum' which has clear photos of the fitting process.

 

Your circlip pliars need to open as you squeeze the handles.

 

The ends of the tool fit in the loops at the open end.

 

No idea what the 'dangly bit' is you refer to?

 

Yes they do work very well. The 25mm ones fit most large fowl but we have noticed that they are perhaps too short for one of our Orpingtons because her beak is nearly at the end. So the job for today is see if we can get 30mm ones for her.

[Egluntyne]

Some advice here -from the FAQ

 

This is the type of circlip pliers that I use.

 

 

This is how I position the pliers in the Bumpa bit. i squeeze the handles and the bit opens as demonstrated in this picture.

 

 

I wrap the hen tightly in a towel and hold it between my knees. I hold the hen's head in my right hand and apply the Bumpa bit with my left. (I'm left handed). You need to aim to position the bit upwards and backwards in the hen's nostrils. If it is in the right place, she shouldn't be able to remove it. Hope that helps.

[ankerson]

Thank you both for the advice. The dangly bit was the bit where you put the circlips... With three of us, we managed to get the bit on one chicken. On the second one, who is five years old and long in beak, it was definitely too small, so we took it off again. I found someone on eBay selling a few 30mm bits, so have bought some of them and will try again. It was too dark, and we were too traumatised, to try the third.

 

I feel awful having to resort to this, and actually it doesn't seem to have helped in the way I wanted. True, the one with the bit cannot actually hurt my new two, but it doesn't stop her trying, and it doesn't stop poor Bobby in particular being terrified of her. It seems that there is something really weird going on, far worse than the usual jostling for position that we normally have when introducing new hens. Not only have the old three turned against the new ones, but they also seem to be pecking at each other, which they did not do before. They all seem really angry.

 

We tried to get them all to sleep together in the Cube tonight, but the gang was having none of it, even though the new girls are desperate to get in there. At the moment, they are having to sleep in an old wooden coop, which is pretty much falling to bits. We did not expect to be using it for this long, but, until we have bits for all, we cannot risk putting them in together. Yes, it's that bad. Tale of woe all around...

 

Thanks again for help