Solitary chicken - need advice

[Pottage]

My husband and I got 4 ex batts on Sunday and I adore them! That said, neither of us have ever had chooks before and I am overly stressing about the slightest little thing.

 

One of them has very loose, runny poo, but I am yet to determine who it is. She always seems to go just when my back is turned. Do you think they will need worming so soon coming from the farm? I’ve been adding verm-x to their water since we got them.

 

My main other problem is the aptly named Pecky.

 

She is quite horrid to the rest of them, feather pulling and pecking the combs of the other 3 hens. Yesterday they all had had red welts on their combs where I’m sure she’s been having a go at them when they go to bed or are in their day run when we are not home. The first night we had them, she pecked Steve’s comb so much it bled a little (fortunately the nest box/bedroom is dark so the others didn’t see the blood, and her comb had started to scab over by the time we let them into the run the next day. I only know it bled because it was so sore and red Monday when I looked at her, and last night I found a tiny smear of dried blood on the ceiling of their nest box). How long is she likely to do this for before I should be overly worried? Is the comb pecking common, because it doesn’t seem that way from what I’ve read online. I’m going to Vaseline them this evening but I’d rather Pecky just stopped being a bully!

 

The other 3 are quite terrified of her, I let them out of the coop in the morning and Pecky barges her way to the front straight to the food and the other 3 sit huddled on the ladder looking at her like she’s Satan incarnate! I know they need to establish a pecking order, but two of my poor girls don’t have that many feathers to loose in the first place. Even when they free range in the garden, she seems to actively seek them out just to have a go when they are minding their own business.

 

Steve is, strangely, in really good condition. She has all her feathers and is a very good looking girl. However, she seems to be at the bottom of the pile and on her first day with us she took herself off on her own in the corner of the garden under the bushes to have a little nap. She tends to be the last to do anything new. Anyone know how she has managed to keep so nice looking being as she’s so unconfident and easily oppressed?

 

This is their coop/day run (I'm gutted I only found out about Eglu's after I have bought the coop and husband built the run :-/ ). They are in the run until about 4pm weekdays when they are let out to roam where they like until bedtime (8:30pm). I let them out of the coop about 5:30am. Weekends I plan to get up at the same time to let them into the run, then I'm going back to bed for a couple of hours lol. I'll let them out in the garden when I'm up about 10am and they can free range until they decide it is time for bed themselves.

 

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/10333558_10152432619294651_7254564543505627208_o.jpg

 

Thanks for any help you can give me (I actually have loads of probably stupid questions about getting trampled poo out of their run and ringed eggs but won’t bore you with them just yet!).

[paulad]

Saying a very quick hi (as im at work !!!)

 

Try not to be overly worried - if you only got them on Sunday they will still be sorting out the pecking order - give them abit longer to settle in first.

 

When you are able to supervise them and see bad behaviour you could use a water pistol to "shoot" the offender - sounds funny but it works...Also you could try seperating the "bully" for short periods of time to make her realised she is being mean ! Vaseline is definately worth a go for the combs.

Eating - i would say set up more than one feeding/drinking station - as PEcky cant be in 2 places at once so giving the others a chance to feed

 

Just try and enjoy them - they will take a while to settle as they are also recovering for battery life but it will settle down im sure.

 

Im by no means an expert and there will be others along soon with much better advice. We have had our chucks a year now and they are just ace

Edited June 18, 2014 by Guest

[paulad]

p.s ur set up looks fab xx

[Lydia]

Hello

 

First off, well done for giving some caged ladies a home. Second, take a deep breath!

 

I've rehomed around 50 or so ex-caged ladies over the last 9 years and the one thing they need is time and patience. Some settle really quickly, others can take weeks. They've been with you a week so it's early days and they do need time to sort out who is top hen and where the others sit. It can be brutal and unpleasant but it's their way. Unless blood is drawn, or one is being unduly picked on, it's best to let them get on with it.

 

It's a good idea to invest in some purple spray. Omlet, I think, do it, or your local horsey shop will do it (and it will probably be cheaper). You use this to mask any blood on a hen to discourage them pecking her. It's particularly useful when new feather start growing through as these can be pecked out by others and bleed.

 

The runny poo is probably just them settling down, change of diet, getting used to things etc. As long as they have pellets/mash and water they'll be OK. You can introduce small amounts of veg later on. I personally don't worm them as soon as I get them but do them about a month or so later. Verm-x is no longer legally allowed to be sold as a wormer and is only a guy conditioner. Many of us on here use Flubenvet, which is the only wormer licensed for chickens, either mixing the powder into existing food or buying pre-treated pellets. It's a licensed product so you have to complete a form or answer questions to get it and only certain places are allowed to sell it. Flubenvet is available from some vets, some shops (my local Countrywide sell it) or online. It's worth shopping around as prices differ quite a bit!

 

As paulad said, multiple food and water stations are a really good idea as the bully can't police them all at once.

 

It's often the ones at the bottom of the pecking order that are feathered The bald ones are usually well hard so and sos and used to fighting it out. Keep an eye on Steve to make sure she's getting food and water.

 

So, take a deep breath, grab a cuppa and enjoy your girlies! Just watch out for foxes if you are letting them freerange. I, and many others, see them all the time at all hours day and night. I personally never let mine out unless one or both of us are actually in the garden with them at all times - after a very close shave when my girls were freeranging unsupervised several years ago and a fox came visiting at about 10am one September morning. I was only in the kitchen at the time and the door was open. Be very careful.

[Chickabee]

I love your set up and agree with every one else. It's very early days. More than one feeding and drinking station is a good idea. If your run if fox proof you can leave the pop hole open all the time so they can get up and go to bed when they like.(unless it's freezing cold)

 

As for worming vermex isn't an effective product. You need to use flubenvet you can buy this in pellet form. I get mine from farm and pet place, on line. You will only need a 10kg bag for 4 hens.

 

Good luck and enjoy

[LunaKiw1]

In addition to setting out multiple food stations (maybe even just use a couple of old food bowls as a short term solution until they settle down) I'd recommend putting a large log or two in the run, or something similar. This can help form separate 'zones' and also the lower ranking hens like to get up a bit higher to stay out of the way.

[Pottage]

Thank you everyone for your hep and reassurance. I love my girls, even problem child, and want to give them the best life possible for however long they have left. They've already rewarded us with 6 eggs I wasn't expecting any!

 

The run is as fox proof as we could make it given the time we had before the girls arrived (we were not expecting them until this weekend but the rescue happened early We spent the whole of last weekend finishing off the run around them!).

 

It's currently on soil with a layer of aubiose, but we stapled galvanized mesh to the whole underneath and there is a 6 inch lip of mesh at either end. Ultimately I would like to put a layer of concrete under there but don't expect we will have the time to do that for a while yet. I must have put about a 300 staples into the mesh, just to be sure! We are pretty rural but I have seen the odd fox near our street late at night and know it will take them no time at all to come and nose around at my girls :-/

 

I have another feeder that I'll put in this evening I think. Fingers crossed that will do the trick and poor Steve can have a bit of peace!

[Jenthelibrarian]

You coop and run look lovely, and well done for rescuing hens.

 

The only thing I'd add to the comments is that there really is no need to get up at 5.30am to let them out, unless you are an early riser. We keep ours shut in their Eglu until about 7.00am-ish on weekdays, and 8.00am at weekends as this keeps the jolly 'someone's laid a lovely egg' singing [loud, prolonged shouty calls] to 'daytime' and allows everyone to sleep undisturbed until civilised o'clock.

 

Sociable chicken-hours and gifts off eggs have helped keep our neighbours onside. The girlies might grumble [quietly] and bang about a bit in the morning before being liberated, but they're absolutely fine.

 

They will go in to roost very early in the winter months anyway and not get up until daylight, they don't starve to death overnight, or expire from boredom

[Pottage]

Hmm. I've just clicked on a link on here about how to pick up your chicken and it seems we've been doing it wrong. We've been picking them up like a football, with a hand either side of the body so they cant flap their wings, with their legs dangling down under them. What I've just read on here says never to grab them by their wings. So does that mean never put you hands either side of their wings, so they can't flap, or actually grabbing/yanking at a wing just to get a hold of them (which I would never do).

 

Three of ours properly object to being stroked, let alone picked up. I can't imagine we will ever be allowed to get anywhere near their legs to grab them. And I can just imagine the flapping if we try!

 

Some of the girls make a very, very quiet, disgruntled grumble when we pick them up. Is this becasue we are hurting them? We have to be firm, but are only ever as firm as is needed to stop wriggling (they are strong little things, aren't they!).

[Chickabee]

I pick mine up from underneath then transfer them to the nook of my other arm so they can't flap. Those wings can hurt if they catch you in the face

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Congratulations on your new girls . All great advice above, can't add much to it!

 

You are holding them right, I suspect they mean grabbing wings as a method of catching them!

 

The runny poos should settle down, a move can make them a bit loose .

 

Get them used to taking treats (mixed corn for example) from you in a cup or dish - eventually they'll learn that you come bearing gifts and may start to let you near them without shrieking and running for the hills .

[SteveC]

Only thing to add is that as you have a secure run, there's no need to shut them in the Eglu at all. I have a Classic and the door stays open all the time (even in winter) so that they can come and go as they like. Silly beggars often sleep on the perches in the run rather than in the Eglu anyway!