Bullys

[Hans Mum]

my 6 ex-batts and 2 original girls are all together in 2 seperate houses and a shared run.

I know if 1 hen is the bully you should isolate her, but 1 of the ex-batts is being picked on by all of them, they have a peck at her as she passes them by, dont roost with her, sqwark at her if she looks at them the wrong way, as a result she spends most of her time in the nest box on her own. Ive sprayed her with a water/vinegar solution as its supposed to stop the pecking but its had little effect. She is not thriving as much as the others but has certainly improved since i got them (3weeks ago). Is there anything i can do for her i dont want to isolate her as i'll have to reintroduce her again. Any suggestions greatfully received.

[vicky]

If there's a clear top hen I'd think about seperating her anyway to attempt to disrupt the pecking order and keep all the other bullies on their toes?
Keep doing the vinegar thing (are you doing it at night so they all smell the same come the morning?)
Dig a bit of the run/hang up treats to give them something else to do?
Sorry can't be more help!

[Glutton4...]

I'd agree with Vicky; only isolate if there's a clear bully who needs putting in their place. I'd be inclined to let nature take its course. One of my white ones was in the same situation when I got them just before Christmas. All the white ones picked on her and so did all the brown ones. When I let them out in the morning, and they all rushed to get their feed, I made sure 'little one' had some feed of her own round the other side of the coop that the others didn't notice.

I did this for about a week, to help her keep her strength up, and it only took a little while. She started to feather-up well, and now has better feathering than many of the others. They all still pick on her, so she is definitely at the bottom, but she is better covered so doesn't feel their pecks now. Instead of squawking and running away like she used to, she just ducks her head down and turns away from them.

Good luck

[Suechooks]

Sadly some ex-batts just don't cope very well with freedom. She may be one of those and the others are aware of this. As Glutton suggests make sure she has enough food morning and evening and that she's drinking. I have one who is picked on by everyone old and new but she copes like Gluttons does. At one time I had to put her to bed in a pet carrier inside the hut but now she just goes in last when everyone else is roosting and she sits on the tyre instead of the perch.
Hope it works ok for her.

[Marthaclematis]

I don't have chickens but I am fascinated when reading about them, they are real character's aren't they? I'd never have known that they had such intelligence and 'feelings' - especially as they do have tiny brains (though actually I don't know what that's got to do with it).

[Glutton4...]

Yes, they are great characters Marthaclematis - they alternate between being really friendly and down-right barbaric! But they're always entertaining, and always interesting!

I've only had Chooks since November, but I can't imagine life without them now.

[Flummery]

The vinegar spray is, I think, meant to be used on all of them, not just the pecked one. It makes them all smell the same, so new ones aren't noticed as easily. If they've been with you 3 weeks, try the anti-peck spray - can't remember the name offhand but someone will come up with it.
Otherwise, if you're really worried about her you could isolate her in the company of another timid one. Then they've got a mini-gang. If you can keep them in a separated off bit of the run in the day then put them all together at night, they will bond a bit and when you are able to re-introduce her she's got an ally.

[Suechooks]

The antipeck spray is called Ukadex.

[lizzylemon]

I had the exact same problem when I got my chooks. One was the smallest runty thing ever and was being bullied non-stop for quite a while but I took the advice offered here, which was to let nature take its course for the most part and only step in if the situation got dire (blood drawing mostly).....

And here we are 3 months down the road and she's fine, still takes the odd peck off the top bird but definately holds her own much more and is now nearly a normal size, laying eggs too.

Felt wrong and was hard not to get involved but it worked out good, I hope it does for you too.

[Glutton4...]

It's good to hear it worked for you Lizzylemon - It's difficult to leave them sometimes, especially when they can be so cruel to each other. My 'Little One' has now got brave enough to jump up and sit on my lap with the others too!

[frias]

I read this ealier today and just thought how lucky I had been as the only bit of bullying had been when Spotty went broody last summer and the others used to have a peck at her whenever I turfed her off the nest. Then this afternoon all hell let loose and Poppy and Spotty started fighting with their feet. Then Julia (boss hen) and Bluebelle joined in, only Mrs brown kept out of it. This kept on and off for the rest of the afternoon with several spats using feet as well as beaks. Fortunately no blood spilled and Spotty didn't seem too bothered, giving as good as she got. It really made me wonder what she had done to upset the others though, especially as they have all been getting on well for months.

My niece often introduces new hens to her flock and swears by the vinegar method. You have to spray all of them once they are all in bed, so they all smell the same when let out in the morning.

[Sue]

Hi
I noticed that due to the death of one of the three oldies, the pecking order is being resorted with one of the new girls, Ruby moving up in the world. Poor old Monica is therefore getting pecked by the two old girls and now her so called mates, Ruby and Maud are doing it as well. They have only once drawn blood that I know - clipped her comb I think and she's not losing any feathers.
Even after her friends and their turn-coat behaviour she also doesn't seem too traumatised and gets her fair share of food and drink.
I bought a straw bale yesterday with my chicken food delivery and what with the bedding it wouldn't fit in the shed so had to put it in the hen run.
Result, something new to play with and climb on and pull apart and Monica gets some peace. As long as they leave me some for the strawberry bed, don't mind if it gives them some fun.

I also found hanging up a spray of millet is a good distraction too.
Sue

[Eyren]

I have a dog cage that I bought on ebay - it's about 30 x 20 x 24 inches high. Sometimes you can get them on freecycle or gumtree - I've even seen one dumped at my local recycling centre - or you can buy them quite cheaply online (they don't have to be the super-strong variety, after all - chickens aren't exactly Rottweilers, for all their occasional aggressiveness!).

The cage comes in very handy for "de-broodying" my pekins - being bigger than a cat-carrier, there's room for a small feeder and water dish and for the bird to move about a bit, so you can leave a hen in it for a day or two without harm provided the weather's not too cold or wet. I scatter a bit of bedding material on the metal floor and provide a bit of log as a perch - a nestbox would be a sensible addition for a laying bird (but a nestbox is the last thing I need when trying to snap a hen out of a broody spell!).

Anyway, placed within sight of the rest of the flock - either in the run if it's big enough, or nearby where they can easily see one another - you don't have to worry about reintroductions but it keeps them physically apart. An ex-batt might even find the confinement comforting!