Worried about Tush!!!

[Snadger]

Tush my recent broody chook who didn't get the chance to play Mum because her eggs didn't hatch, is looking decidedly 'dour'!

After her three week ordeal sitting on eggs on the nest to no avail I let her back in with the other chooks. They have picked on her something rotten and today when I went into the chook house there was a pile of feathers at one end of the roosting bar. She's either pulled them out herself, which I doubt, or tuthers have literally been picking on her. She is looking decidedly ragged and although she is eating and drinking ok, she tends to keep herself to herself.
I am in the process of making a broody coop for the future and feel so sorry for her I was thinking of putting her in it to try and give her a bit of peace.
The worry I have is that once I get her fit again, and ready to return to the fold, she will have to go through this pecking order thing again!

I honestly don't know what to do for the best!

[lynda66]

maybe you could put her in the broody coop with another small sweet chicken or 2 then she can bond with them, and she might have a chance of them sticking up for her?? when you introduce them again. or maybe you should build another coop and run to put her in , so you have room for ducks with her too

apparently, poultry will peck anything red, cos it looks like blood, so if there is any blood, don't think you have much choice but to seperate her

[Flummery]

The probelm with isolating a hen for any reason is always the difficulty of integrating her again. You had her in an adjacent run didn't you - a sort of run within the run, so she was visible to the others but they couldn't get at her? Maybe if you could do this and pop them all in together at night then separate her again in the morning for a week or two - but they aren't at home are they - just defeated me own plan there?

If I were doing it I'd keep them separate until half an hour before bed time then scatter some grain over the whole floor and let them all in there together. They'll be too busy eating to bully with any luck. Then extend this time by half an hour a day until they don't notice she's back. Don't know if that's feasible for you though.

Also, if they have drawn blood, that purple spray thing you can buy at farm shops is antiseptic and also covers up signs of blood.

Hope you come up with something that works, poor little lass. (Her, not you!)

[MaureenHall]

Awwwww poor Tush! I agree with Flummery about introducing them back together near bedtime then them all sleeping together, think it'll take a few days but better than keeping her completely isolated and having to go through it all again. Can you sneak a few grapes dipped in poultry spice for her? It should give her a bit of a boost, maybe enough to fight back anyway. Tell her I said bokchookbokbok

[Noodle]

Oh dear, poor Tush! No chicks and getting bullied! I think the others have covered everything. Hope they start accepting her again soon. I'm not doing so well with my lot, so can't really help!

[frias]

Oh poor Tush. Hopefully the others will accept her back quickly.

[kirsty b]

I had a RIR go broody last year, and the others were horrible to her when she came out to eat and drink, and there was also a fair bit of squabbling when she stopped being broody and rejoined the flock. I think its normal, but horrible to watch.
I think there is some violet powder stuff you can get when hens draw blood, but the name escapes me at the mo. Try looking on a poultry supply site, they may have the stuff I'm thinking of.

[dozey1]

Snadger you need to get some Genetian Violet, it is purple and is a disinfectant and it does stop the other hens picking at the same spot.. Ihave some which i got on line. Good luck and i hope Tush gets well.

[Snadger]

Snadger you need to get some Genetian Violet, it is purple and is a disinfectant and it does stop the other hens picking at the same spot.. Ihave some which i got on line. Good luck and i hope Tush gets well.

Funnily enough I have some Gentian Violet in my watchers list from eBay.....................I new their was a reason I was watching it!

[Birdie Wife]

She'll have lost condition when being broody (not coming out regularly to eat and drink) and she may also have pulled her own feathers out to line a nest. I would agree that it's best for her to be part of the flock but if she is really suffering you might try seperating her (within sight of the flock if possible) and feeding her some high protein/calcium snacks to help her regain condition. Mealworms, porridge and marmite on toast are all good. If you haven't got it already, Poultry Spice is really good too, just a pinch mixed in with her food every other day or so should start to perk her up. Hope she feels better soon

[Snadger]

She'll have lost condition when being broody (not coming out regularly to eat and drink) and she may also have pulled her own feathers out to line a nest. I would agree that it's best for her to be part of the flock but if she is really suffering you might try seperating her (within sight of the flock if possible) and feeding her some high protein/calcium snacks to help her regain condition. Mealworms, porridge and marmite on toast are all good. If you haven't got it already, Poultry Spice is really good too, just a pinch mixed in with her food every other day or so should start to perk her up. Hope she feels better soon

Thanks BW. I have some Poultry Spice but was saving it for all of them during the winter! I don't know how long they will keep picking on her but I may give her some respite at the weekend (should have my broody hut finished by then) and then I'll be able to put her on special rations including the spice She has a place in my heart, poor girl, and I want to do right by her!

PS I forgot to mention..........I'm getting a very small egg each day, not much bigger than a starlings, couldn't be hers could it?

[BrideXIII]

you should be able to get gentian violet from your local independant chemist, its good for mouth ulcers, hurts a bit, but my mum always used it with us.

[kirsty b]

Thanks BW. I have some Poultry Spice but was saving it for all of them during the winter! I don't know how long they will keep picking on her but I may give her some respite at the weekend (should have my broody hut finished by then) and then I'll be able to put her on special rations including the spice She has a place in my heart, poor girl, and I want to do right by her!

PS I forgot to mention..........I'm getting a very small egg each day, not much bigger than a starlings, couldn't be hers could it?

Its possible I suppose if she is coming back into lay following being broody and stressed out by others' bullying.
Tiny eggs not impossible with chooks. I had one last year, about half the size of a normal egg following the shed fire which must have stressed them out, and one last week which contained just white, think the hen that laid it must have been coming back into lay following moult.

[Snadger]

Its possible I suppose if she is coming back into lay following being broody and stressed out by others' bullying.
Tiny eggs not impossible with chooks. I had one last year, about half the size of a normal egg following the shed fire which must have stressed them out, and one last week which contained just white, think the hen that laid it must have been coming back into lay following moult.

Yep, I've only broken one small egg and as you say Kirsty..........no yolk? No yoking!

[Flummery]

If there's just one bully it sometimes works to isolate that hen, not the picked-on one. Then when she is re-introduced SHE is the bottom of the pecking order. Bit of humility! However, if they are ganging up that doesn't work.

Big help, aren't I?