I'm new to all this, but......

[Dotty Chick]

Hello There
I'm new to this site and to chickens. Must say love the site and love my chickens. This site has helped me a lot already and I need a little more advice please as I've only had them a month.
Just got a pair of Buff Orpington to add to the others (8 hybrid beauties). My girls are not behaving themselves at all and are being quite horrid. Gloria(Amber Star) and Lady Penelope (Bluebelle)has taken to stalking them and picking out their feathers and eating them. They are also doing it to the others now,minx! Samson and Delilah (Buffs) are 17 weeks old where as the others are 21 weeks old and are just starting to lay.
I'm worried that Samson and Delilah are just being bullied too much. We are having to be feed away from the others as they chase the Buffs away and we don't want them to be unhappy and hungry chickens.
Thanks for reading, hope you can advise.

[rustylady]

Hi Dotty and welcome to the Vine. Sorry, I don't keep chickens although I would love to - I don't think the landlord would be too happy. However, I think chickens are a bit like children and have to find their own place in the order of things (pecking order if you like). Give them a bit of time topsettle down and don't interfere more than you absolutely have to.

[witch-1]

Hi
I'm also new to chicken keeping so can't really help! BUT... where I brought my chooks from they won't sell different ages together - don't know why, but it might be because of bullying! Sorry can't be of much use - hope you find an answer soon.

I also have a Bluebell and Amber Star (not laying yet) and a Goldline who seems to have Sundays off from laying 8 eggs todate

Have to say that the Goldline seems to be the most placid of the three - the other two run at each other and do the heads up thing! No real scraps though.

Good luck
Jan
x

[Dotty Chick]

Hi and thanks for your reply, much appreciated.
Dotty is the name of one of my chickens too, she's very much like her name!
Got young children too and I know what you mean about pecking order and all that. But the older chooks are quite horrid to the younger ones.
Samson is coming down with a cold and has a runny nose. TLC has been given by the arms full and some Olbus Oil (on a tissue) has been left in the coop. Got that remedy from t'internet.
Thanks again for your advise, good chatting to you

[Dotty Chick]

Hi Jan
Thanks for your reply, Amber Stars are so lovely. Mine are called Gloria and Opal. Gloria is the only one of those two who is laying. Had two eggs and they are great, very tasty.
Have also got Speckled Stars, White Star and Sussex Star (Dotty is her name and it is definitely in her nature).
Samson has got a cold coming, so TLC and Olbas Oil is also on the cards.
Thanks again, good chatting to you

[TPeers]

Since I suffer from a serious bully of a hen called Blackie......

Try cleaning the coop - a full hose it down and disinfect spring clean. Do this such that you put the hens back in the mid evening, then as you put the birds in to roost spray everything heavily with a 50:50 mix of vinegar and water - hens included. This seems to nullify all the scents in the coop and on the birds and seriously reduces the bullying.

May not stop it entirely - I now have one hen who lives in the coop and won't come out, unless Blackie comes in to lay.......

But generally it is now only squabbling, not beaks at dawn!

I was recommended the vinegar spray on here, can't remember who.

Terry

[Dotty Chick]

Thanks Terry for that
Funny you should mention cleaning them out, I did just the thing yesterday.
So we'll see how they get on.
Samson still has his cold, snotty nose but doing well.
Off to go and get them some Verm X now, as they need worming.
Thanks very much for your reply

[Dotty Chick]

Dusting chickings

Afternoon Chicken Lovers
Just brought some louse powder. Can anyone give me any ideas on how to do the dusting without too much stress caused for ALL concerned.
Do I bite the bullet and sprinkle them whilst they are in my arms? Or do I sprinkle in the coop, dust bath and everywhere!
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Dotty

[OverWyreGrower]

Hiya!

I recommended the vinegar/water thing - glad it works!

I sprinkle red mite powder after I've cleaned out, and then onto the chickies as they come in the hut. They tend to sort of preen it in, if you know what I mean

[Dotty Chick]

Mmmm!
Now here's something I need to question!
Is Red Mite Powder the same as lice powder? Do I need them both?
Thanks for reply

[witch-1]

Hi Dotty
I was told with redmite powder to add it to a cat litter tray with sand and let them bath themselves in it!

I'm yet to try it out myself.
Jan

[Dotty Chick]

Thanks again Jan
I was also told the very same thing. I made them a great dust bath, sprinkled the red mite stuff in it and low and behold they bathed else where!!!! There's no pleasing these chickens.
Anyway, sad news about Samson. He's gone down hill quite a lot. The lady who I brought him from suggest that he has become stressed with the bullying and has got run down, hence the cold. He's withdrawn from eating and mixing with the others as they are always picking on him.
So at the moment they are both sitting on the settee as my husband is in the workshop making them a perch and a secure place for them to live in the hall for a wee while so that he can get a little food and some TLC.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated and if it doesn't work out we'll have to re home them if they don't cope better.
Thanks for reading
Tired Dotty

[daisychook]

Hi

If Samson has a cold, he needs to go to the vet and get some antibiotics. The quicker you act the more chance of survival. Olbas oil will not shift a cold, may alleviate a symptom as in humans, but wont cure it.
Respiratory infections are horrendous, and once the chook 'appears' ill, it is at an advanced stage. You need to get him treated.