Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Lindsay B]

Good evening,

 

We recently purchased 4 hens, 2 Gingernut Rangers and 2 Miss Pepperpots, unfortunately one of the Pepperpots recently died. Since this happened 2 of the hens have become aggressive towards the 3rd hen. We have tried using anti pecking spray and this seems to have had a little effect but it still seems to be taking place. We have quite a large run where we have strung up a cabbage to try and occupy them and when not at work we let them out into the rest of the garden but due to working hours they only get out every few days. From Friday (next day off) we intend to separate the bullied hen from the others for a few days before reintroducing her to see if this helps, but do you think that it would be worth adding a further 2 hens to the flock and do you think this would make any difference. Does anyone else have any clever ideas on how to stop the bullying taking place. Any info greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Lindsay and Stu

[Luvachicken]

I think it would be hard to let the bullied hen back in after separating her from the others.

Could you separate her with the not so bullying hen and then put them all back together later I wonder ?

 

Alternatively you could separate her and get her a couple of new friends but I'm not sure how the introductions would work in that she would still be a single hen being introduced to 2 (or more) and then introduce the new group to the bullies at a later date.

[mullethunter]

I agree with Luvachickens first thought.

 

I think putting the bullied hen on her own is only likely to make things worse. Unless they are actually drawing blood I would leave them to it to see if things settle down (you don't say how long this has been the case), or if you can face it perhaps but bumper bits on the other two. Or, again in agreement with Luvachicken, perhaps remove the worst bully and see if the pecked girl will bond with the other one.

 

My gut feeling would be that introducing new hens now would be even more difficult than normal given things are unsettled already, but then again maybe it would be better to get it all done in one go

 

Perhaps someone else may be able to be more helpful!

[Mars]

The brown hybrids are aggressive by nature, I don't keep them for that reason. if you really want to keep them, don't mix them with other breeds.

[Lindsay B]

They've drawn blood twice now and she's on her own in the coop tonight to let her sore bum have a chance to recover. It all began on Friday, (the fourth chicken died suddenly on Weds) calmed down over the weekend and began again yesterday. THeywent to bed ok last night but when I came home from work today our bullied hen had taken herself into the coop and they were leaving her alone.

 

Thanks for the advice! We'll see how we go tomorrow

[sparkysmum]

The brown hybrids are aggressive by nature, I don't keep them for that reason. if you really want to keep them, don't mix them with other breeds.

 

I dont want to cause offence Mars but this simply isnt true, and it is inappropriate to make bold sweeping statement such as this. In common with many members on this forum, brown hybrids ( ex batts) were my first introduction to hens. Far from being aggressive I found them to be peaceful, gentle birds which were easy to look after. I had no problem at all with intro's when I bought pure breeds the following year. I have had another lot of ex batts since and again found them to be gentle peaceful birds. Sure they will see off other birds such as crows and pidgeons but not in an aggressive manner.

 

Commercial hybrids are reared intensively and this just wouldn't happen if they were aggressive creatures.

 

This forum is used by all sorts of people. From those looking for information about their first hens to experienced owners who can potentially provide this information. It is completely misleading to make statement such as the one above without citing evidence to support it.

 

Best wishes. Ax

[sjp]

Warren type hybrids were developed to be placid

personally I'd say that the brown hens were the lower ranking girls and the one that died was one of the top ones so when she died the lower ranking birds took the opportunity to move up the pecking order the normal rule of thumb is to remove the main bully from the group for a few days so that when reintroduced she ends up at the bottom of the pecking order

as said as long as no blood is drawn let them sort it out themselves but as blood has been drawn that changes things if you spray it with purple vet spray then that should hide the wound from the other 2

[Mars]

I dont want to cause offence Mars but this simply isnt true, and it is inappropriate to make bold sweeping

Do we have to be politically correct when we talk about hens?

[Cat tails]

I dont want to cause offence Mars but this simply isnt true, and it is inappropriate to make bold sweeping

Do we have to be politically correct when we talk about hens?

 

No, but you have to remember inexperienced hen owners might take these words much more seriously, than they are meant and actually can be.

[sparkysmum]

I dont want to cause offence Mars but this simply isnt true, and it is inappropriate to make bold sweeping

Do we have to be politically correct when we talk about hens?

 

No, Mars we dont have to be politically correct whatever that phrase means but we do have to be honest and truthful. By making incorrect sweeping generalisations such as you have, you might at the very least put people off buying hybrids or rescuing ex batts.

 

Sincere best wishes with no political correctness. Ax

[Mar1a]

My gingernut IS my aggressive hen. There is no denying that. And she has been since we went on holiday in September and they boarded at the farm we got them from. Before that, she was the loveliest little thing ever

 

I think separating the bullied hen isn't a great move because reintroducing her to the bullies could make things worse. I'm sorry I don't have wise words for you. But you're not alone

[gavclojak]

The brown hybrids are aggressive by nature, I don't keep them for that reason. if you really want to keep them, don't mix them with other breeds.

 

I dont want to cause offence Mars but this simply isnt true, and it is inappropriate to make bold sweeping statement such as this. In common with many members on this forum, brown hybrids ( ex batts) were my first introduction to hens. Far from being aggressive I found them to be peaceful, gentle birds which were easy to look after. I had no problem at all with intro's when I bought pure breeds the following year. I have had another lot of ex batts since and again found them to be gentle peaceful birds. Sure they will see off other birds such as crows and pidgeons but not in an aggressive manner.

 

Commercial hybrids are reared intensively and this just wouldn't happen if they were aggressive creatures

 

I absolutely 100% agree with you, I think they are the sweetest natured birds.