Chicken bald back

[Lacke]

Hi all,

 

I am a new member and a brand new owner of an Eglu Cube. I bought it thru the Club-forum here and with it came 6 hens. Two white ones with a black color, two brown ones and two blue marans. They are only 7 months old I was told and were bought together when the vendor had bought the Cube. Happily I returned with it all back home only to find that the two blue did not come outside at all the next day. They had been inside that day I picked them up too had the vendor said. The rest of them were all out and seeming just fine. I lifted out the two blue ones the next day only to see that the white and brown ones were going for their feet, and there was now an open bleeding wound on each of them on one foot. I made a separate run and coop for the blue ones to let them heal and be left alone. After about three days, I found that the brown ones and one white had now open bleeding pecking wounds on their feet, as the blue ones, a big one on one of their feet. All three of them except one of the white ones. So I decided to let the "nasty" white one be put separate instead and put the healed blue ones back with the three others. It seemed fine, and the blue ones seemed now to be in charge instead and was actually pecking feathers just a little from the brown ones. It all went fine and I thought I had solved the problem. Oh was I wrong. I went away for two days, and a family member was looking after the chooks for me. As I returned back yesterday evening, I was told that the blue ones have got open wounds on their feet again as the brown and white one had starting pecking them. So I am now back to square one! I went and bought anti-pecking spray from Johnson already at the first incident, and have used it all up. Seems not to help at all. I dont know what to do now as I can not keep separating them all and all I wanted was this lovely nice Eglu Cube with some laying hens and peace and quiet. So when I bought an already set up "farm", I did not expect it to be like this. Has anyone got any suggetstions or advice of what I can do to stop this going on. The blue ones do now refuse to come out and eat and drink and lay inside all day again. The white one is still separated from all of them as she had gone for all the other three earlier so there was no plan on putting her back together with the others again, but now when the blue ones have an open bleeding pecking wound on one of their feet again from the three I am lost and sad.

Please help me out.....

 

All the best and thanks for reading.

 

Lacke =))

[Egluntyne]

I would spray their wounds with gentian violet, as it will disguise the wounds, and give them plenty of other things to peck at.

[miller30]

Yep agree and maybe a beak bit fitted once they learn these habits they can be hard to break and if poss get them out freeranging that will give them something else to focus on leanne

[Lacke]

Thank you guys, very nice of you to reply. Where do you get that gentian violet from? Have ordered the Omlet fencing as well awhile back so should turn up any day now for them to free range. Have also ordered these plastic beak loops so should arrive soon too and hope that would do it then. Once again, thank you so much for your replies.

 

Brgds,

 

Lacke =))

[Egluntyne]

You can get it from most equestrian or farm type shops or from the Omlet shop. Sometimes also called Purple Spray.

[gavclojak]

Make sure you buy Gretian purple spray.....I brought barrier purple spray and it was a pale white colour, was lovely, smelled like camomile but wasn't purple and didn't do what I was hoping....

 

 

You want the like of...Battles Gentian Violet Spray

 

Not.....Barrier Purple Spray

[The Dogmother]

The Nettex one is very good (Septi-Clens spray) - it's in an aerosol as opposed to a trigger spray and has a very fine directional nozzle, so avoids over-spray onto you and your clothes.