Solitary chicken - need advice

[Eggasperated]

Following Beryl's death yesterday I am now left with 2 hens in 2 separate houses, an eglu and a solway. Carol is 5 and is a feather plucking bully, she has lived on her own since her equally bullying friend died two years ago, Agnes has never been on her own before. The houses are in a 50m electric fenced area divided down the middle and it now seems ridiculous to have 2 houses, however, I am concerned about what will happen if I put the girls together especially as Agnes seems to have sterile peritonitis (which doesn't bother her at all although I keep a constant eye on her).

Dilemma .

[jackian]

I cant really help , but it does seem a waste having the two coups with space ..Good job there is no bedroom tax for chickens

Why not get a couple more girls to go with Agnes and leave Carol on her own.You could then once they are settled in put Carol in with them all on a trial basis. she will probably be bottom hen by then and time has past.

 

Jackie x

[Beantree]

Try fitting a beak bit to the bully. Make sure it is long enough though as the 25mm ones (from Omlet) don't suit all. I'm having to buy 30mm for two of ours (Gamekeepa). Then introduce them together putting the bully into the other coop.

[Chickabee]

Brilliant Beantree. Once that's done you can get some more girls, maybe exbats. Or some lovely Pekins

[Eggasperated]

Unfortunately OH has decided we can't have any more chickens at the moment as he wants to move to Norfolk within the next year and feels the logistics of moving that far is hard enough without more chickens, otherwise that would have been my solution too.

 

Beantree we have tried beak bits before on Carol and she has always continued to manage to pull feathers even with them on.

I also can't ever see Carol being bottom hen, I'm sure she is fully aware what a grand old lady she is .

 

Luckily Agnes doesn't seem too upset at being on her own so I have a while to work out a solution.

[Beantree]

That may point to what I was saying about being long enough Eggasperated. Unless the bit is a good 3mm clear of the end of the beak, they can still peck feathers. If you look at the sites selling Bumpa bits for pheasants they will say the birds must be trough fed. The reason is they can't pick anything up off the floor. We have a 25mm one fitted at the moment which is 3mm longer than the beak and is successful. We have another the same length as the beak which is not successful and she is awaiting delivery of the 30mm ones.

 

The logistics of moving with more birds only becomes an issue if you have to move more coops or need a bigger cage or more cages to put them in whilst in transit. The logistics of moving with any number of chickens needs to be considered very carefully, because of the delay disassembling and loading the coop(s) and unloading and assembling at the other end. Usually they need to move to temporary accommodation, like a shed or another pre-assembled coop and run, for a while.

[Eggasperated]

Thank you Beantree Carol does have a long beak so I will look into this.

 

Quite frankly moving at all is giving me sleepless nights as we will be moving out of the Scottish system into the English. Probably moving chickens will be the least of my worries.

[Beantree]

You might find a bit of a language problem as well Eggasperated. I used to work in Suffolk and couldn't understand a word some of them were saying. But Norfolk, apart from King's Lynn, is a lovely place.

 

Chickens are best moved at night. Certainly over that distance. Keeps their stress levels down and they don't need food and water.