Chicken bald back

[Cindig]

Hi,

 

We collected our three hens from BHWT on Saturday. They listened to the Frozen soundtrack on the hour long journey home (my 5-year old daughter was with me), and have been settling in to their new home.

 

Digger took one look around and immediately started scratching around and pecking. When I gave them mixed corn, she thought it was brilliant to stand in the bowl and fling it everywhere, then peck it off the grass. Rosie took a little longer, but was soon moving around and eating too. She was most talkative, and seemed quite curious about me and the children. Priscilla stayed on the same spot for a very long time looking nervous, but eventually pecked a little - and laid an egg!!!

 

Rosie was unimpressed about being put to bed (I had to lift them all into the Cube) and tried to make her way back down the ladder, she half-flew, half-tumbled down. On Sunday morning (yesterday - seems longer!) I opened the pop hole and found two more eggs (one with slight hole where it landed on the perch area); two hours later I had to lift them all out into the run so that they could get some food. Was pleased to see them all eating well, including Priscilla. None of them like the glug, so I had to put a ceramic saucer of water down which they used.

 

I built a wooden ramp for them last night and after leaving them for a while was delighted to find that Rosie and Digger managed to make their way down this morning! when I first opened up there was a broken egg on the bedding. Rosie was just starting to peck at it (the yolk was slightly broken), but I removed it quickly. Another egg was laid in the run later while I was in work, thankfully undamaged. I guess one of them might need more calcium.

 

Today the pecking order was being established. I know it's a natural behaviour but it makes me so nervous, I really hate it. I really hope there won't be ongoing bullying issues so hope they sort it out soon. Rosie has decided she is top. Priscilla is very quick to submit and run away, but Digger gets pecked. There is a tiny little line of blood on her comb, although I think too fine to draw Rosie's attention. I don't have any purple stuff but will get some tomorrow. I think I saw Priscilla showing dominance over Digger too, and making her submit.

 

This evening Priscilla made her way very cautiously up the wooden ramp, and put herself to bed! So proud. Rosie settled herself in the corner under the Cube. Oddly Digger seemed to peck at her back and she didn't retaliate, I thought it seemed a little strange given the pecking order. It took me ages to get them out of the corner and put them in the coop.

 

Really hope the pecking settles. I'm out at work 8-4 so can't supervise and will be a nervous wreck. If anyone has any words of wisdom or reassurance that they'll settle, that would be most welcome!

 

I will try to upload a photo but I'm really struggling with Photobucket.

 

[Orangediva]

Congrats on getting your girls, I've been wondering how it was all going for you. I'm sure someone will be along with advice about the pecking very soon. Good luck!

[mullethunter]

Hi Cindig. Congratulations on your new girls. The reason you can't get the photos to work is that you have to have put 5 posts up before you can post photo's.

 

Your girls will sort out the pecking order and it will be easier for you if they do it mostly while you're at work! In the mean time if you put purple spray on any blood, as long as they don't draw more blood you just have to let them get on with it. I had a really hard time with mine at first, and my two Wyandottes do still bully the little Pekins quite badly. But as long as they have enough sources of food and somewhere they can escape to they're normally all ok.

 

I can't get your first photo to work but here is your second one.

 

[gavclojak]

Well done, the pecking order will sort itself and is perfectly normal so don't stress yourself out.! lucky ladies

[Cindig]

Thank you all for the reassurance, it has make me feel so much better! I can't believe how much I am worrying about them already.

 

Thank you for posting the photo for me!!! There was only the one photo, no idea why all that extra bit was there. It's a far too big - sorry! I thought I had reduced the size, but apparently not...

 

What time do you tend to find your hens generally lay? I worry about eggs in the run getting trampled while I'm at work, but not much I can do, there's no-one else to check while I'm out. Hopefully they might eventually work out to lay in the nest once they get the hang of the ladder. If there anything I can do to encourage them to lay in the nest box?

 

Also, to those who told me (in a previous post) that I was going to need a chair and warm coat - you couldn't have been more right!!!

[Cindig]

Meant to say, I was expecting them to look a bit more bare and bedraggled considering they are ex-caged - their tails and wings are a big straggly, and a few small bald patches, but otherwise they're not too bad.

 

I wondered if they might be slightly different hybrid crosses, as Digger is sort of ginger all over, while Rosie and Priscilla are slightly more speckled especially on the backs of their necks. I think Rosie and Priscilla have buddied-up a bit more.

[jimnpaula]

Congratulations! They are quite well feathered aren't they, not much baldness there at all. The pale faces and floppy combs will start to get some colour soon.

They will all be the same hybrid, that's just natural variation in feather colour you've got there. Each set of rescue girls I've had have shown variation in feather patterns, some had solid colour and some with laced-pattern patches.

Hens lay at any time during the day, often it's in the morning but not neccessarily - I've had a madam moaning and grumping at me as I was cleaning the house in the afternoon when she wanted to lay You could leave some fake eggs in the nestbox to get them used to the idea. Hens like to lay in a safe place so if there are already eggs here, well then this must be a safe place.

 

Gratuitous photo of Hen Solo deciding that this must be a safe place:

[Orangediva]

Ah look at those little faces - lovely!

[Cindig]

Love, love, love the photo of Hen Solo - so cute and funny! What a laugh!

[Luvachicken]

Beautiful girls.

Congratulations on rescuing them.

I'm sure they will have a fab time with you

[Valkyrie]

Oooh they are lovely feathered up. Hello girls.

 

Awww Hen Solo. I wonder if she's thinking how she can cover all of those eggs!

[Chickabee]

Love them, they are well feathered. I used to get eggs all over the place, in the run, in the roosting area. Some broken. Wouldn't worry too much about it. They will lay at all sorts of times as they've been used to artificial light.

 

Re the glug, if it's a super glug none of mine like drinking from these. They prefer the normal glug or a gravity drinker. I think the super glug is too deep and dark. You do need something that's suspended though as those ex bats tend to have very clumsy feet

 

I don't use the grubs either. I seemed to always be throwing away the bottom bit of the food. Hopefully you won't have this problem. Sonya

[Cindig]

Hi everyone,

 

Well I can't believe what a silly worrier I am, by the time I was heading home from work today I had visions of coming back to a bloodied, bullied hen and some broken egg which had been eaten. Instead, I found three lovely happy hens, one unbroken egg in the middle of the run, and one egg on the bedding in the coop!

 

I think they're starting to drink from the glug now (it is the super one but without nipples), but I also got a gravity one. I've put it on the ground in the corner where they can't knock it over, but would it be better for them if it was suspended? I just thought they'd keep knocking into it and causing it to spill!

 

Sonya I see exactly what you mean about the grubs - I don't know how I'll be able to make sure the food at the bottom gets eaten before it goes stale.

[Chickabee]

I would raise the drinker. If they don't knock it over they will scratch all their bed and poo into it . A couple of bricks will do, it needs to be just about shoulder height for the hens. They bend down, fill their beaks then put their head back. I think you can tell I've spent a lot of time hen watching

 

I also think gravity feeders are best. I've only ever had food ruined because it got wet, my mistake. Otherwise I just top it up when needed and I know it's always fresh

[Cindig]

Loads of excellent points! Thanks hun!

 

Next on my list of things to provide is a dust bath...

[Chickabee]

Not trying to be negative, but be prepared for them to ignore the dust bath for a long time. Mine did, I think it took months, but now it's great fun watching them roll around in it. I got a large shallow trug and filled it with wood ash, plus a handful of diatomaceous earth. This helps with lice and mite. You can use sand and potting compost. Mine just seem to love ash. The free Rangers just make their own. We have lots of lovely chicken shaped holes in the garden . Dust bathing and snoozing are so fascinating, sometimes you just want to prod them to make sure they're ok

[Cheshire Hen]

Congratulations! You have very pretty hens. You'll just love having them around. When I was first setting up I was so scared that such a big initial investment would turn out disappointing, but I love it more than ever three years later!

[Orangediva]

Hi everyone,

 

Well I can't believe what a silly worrier I am, by the time I was heading home from work today I had visions of coming back to a bloodied, bullied hen and some broken egg which had been eaten. Instead, I found three lovely happy hens, one unbroken egg in the middle of the run, and one egg on the bedding in the coop!

 

Excellent news

 

I'd love to see more photos when you get the chance

[PixieDust]

Congratulations on some wonderful looking girls!