Advice on clipped beak girls...

[polecatsfan]

I know i'm a propper nause and a worrier.... but my new girls are still not really fitting in.... had them since Saturday, and still not making much progress, some days seem better... but its still mainly the same....

This is the behaviour i am seeing every day... they are bunched up in the corner with the original girls keep coming along and pecking them... i am quite worried that this behaviour will continue indefinatley

what can i do to help?

They stay there behind the feeder, and don't move.... unless one of the others come near them, then they try and shuffle further into the corner....

 

[Ksane]

Poor babies

Have you checked them over thoroughly for parasites? You can miss it easily if you don't look closely aroeund their vent and base of their feathers. Also worm them with a good wormer like Panacur (Fenbendozole) for starters.

 

[polecatsfan]

Yea both birds have been thoroughly checked, and when i first brought them home, had a separate water feeder with Aristopet Worm-enda in it, which they cleaned off happily

just want them to be stomping with the 'cru' already! hehe

 

[Judy]

It may be weeks or months before everyone is comfortable. I have 17, all raised from chicks here but different ages, and they form themselves into about 3 flocks and hang together. They change flocks sometimes, but really don't hang all together unless gathered for a treat or to roost or the like. From what I've read, this is the usual.

I'd keep 2 feeders and waterers, separated with some distance. They will adjust and be more confident if they have some free range time, and different places to go. You might pen up the old ones and set the new ones outside sometimes to encourage them.

 

[polecatsfan]

yea i have done this too, i have an extended 10ft run as an extra to the 5ft one on the coop, water and feeder at coop end, and at the extended end there is another station...

I let them out every day... and they separate off, the 4 Hylines together, and 2 new girls together, if they cross each others path... the Hylines will go for them and chase them off.....

In the coop i have also tied a dangling CD (dont worry, it was only Roy Oribison LOL) which at the moment they are edging towards, but as soon as the wind takes it, they scatter LOL getting nearer and having a quick peck though.... whilst the newbies stay in their corner

 

[branston]

That is INCREDIBLY sad! Why in the world would anybody do that??

 

[polecatsfan]

Because humans apparantly know better than nature!

its evil and cruel as far as i am concerned, what i DO know is that they will get all the love and attention that is humanly possible

 

[MOChickenz]

In my case, I rescued a bunch from an egg battery. Since they live in a space the size of a standard sheet of paper per bird, they don't want the chickens pecking each other to death.

 

[blkpoodles]

Quote:
that's what my state vet said, but where i got my chickens from the guy was just an idiot

 

[polecatsfan]

The settling may take a while then

they seem to be reacting to the cd positively tho, so my hopes are up again.... they keep going up and down day by day hehe think i may just worry too much