xChicken04x Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Hiya everyone! We got 2 new chickens 2 days ago. There has been a bit of pecking every now and again over food so i put extra food and water in their run. I was stroking clover before and i noticed a cut on her lower back. It dosent look like a fresh cut because it has scabbed over. I sprayed a tea tree oil and water soloution on her cut and on her neck, back and tail where she gets occasionaly pecked. I dont think it was our girls because the lady at Garden Poultry (where we got her from) said she is a bit small because she dosent get many chances to eat. I assume that she was picked on at Garden Poultry aswell. I understand that they have to go through a pecking order but i dont want her to be in any pain and we will take her back if we have to. Do you think it was a good idea spraying her with tea tree oil? She tried to groom her self before and she sort of coughed, so it obviously doesnt taste nice. Do you think she will be ok not grooming her self for a few days if we take care of her? Thank you for any advise! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted September 3, 2007 Author Share Posted September 3, 2007 Oh dear. Clover and Nutmeg have gone into the cube, not looking very happy. What should i do? I REALLY need some help!!!! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Hi there, I think tea tree oil will actually help heal the wound and if it tastes yuk, then it will also deter further pecking whilst it does! I could be wrong, but it sounds like you are doing the right thing to me. I tried using 'Bitter Beak' spray which I think is meant for parrots, it didn't work at all so I have ordered some bumber bits in desperation! It might be worth supplying an extra feeding point so that the smallest can't be easily prevented from feeding by it's bigger greedy friends. Hoper this helps, Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Yes the tea tree oil will be fine, as Kev says, it will help heal the wound and also deter the peckers.But as she is the smallest and newest, she probably will be bottom of the pecking order. Again, as Kev says - maybe put out two or three seperate feeding areas so she always has access to food. She will soon learn to keep out of the way of the bullies and they will gradually start to accept her. Just keep an eye on her and make sure she is coping OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Thank you both very much for your replies, it helped a lot! She keeps going up and down to the cube though somtimes she will be sitting on the roosting bars and somtimes she will be in the nesting box. The lady at Garden Poultry said she wont lay untill she is about 25 weeks as she is a Jasmine (blue/green egg layer) and she is only 20 weeks she couldnt be practising could she?. She followed Magic into the nesting box today and sat with her xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robskyd Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Hi, we got our chickens from Garden Poultry and 2 of them started laying the next day that we had them. We bought a smaller bird too, Ruby, who seemed a couple of weeks younger and she got picked on quite a lot for the first week. Now they are all the same size they get on fine. Its not nice to watch but I think its part of their natural instinct to work out the mother hen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Thank you for the avice! What chicken did you get from Garden Poultry? (I dont need to know, i'm just being nosey) Our layed on the first and second day (apart from Magic) they are lovley chickens but i hate the pecking order i cant help but stand with my water pistal at the ready! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robskyd Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 We have 1 brown nic (Ruby) and 2 black rocks (Maddie and Doris). Don't worry too much about the pecking order, as I said in the earlier post, and most will hopefully agree, its natural and wont last too long. All our girls now get along fine and Ruby even steals grapes from Doris and Maddie's beaks. They love grapes!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
