Bad chicken behavior

[hiltopsassafras]

I don't think the death rate on that stops there...We had one die within a day of getting here. Her weekend immune system...I am gonna say due to the beak trimming...got her. I think beak trim on this because no other chicken has had a problem, and these 4 are identical, same breed, behavior and problems.
Beak Trimming is a bad deal.
Sassy

 

[poodlechicks]

Here is one more thing you can do, adding to the change in diet and all the great things you have done for your newcomers.
You mentioned your chickens free range during the day and the problem gals like to hang out in the coop. While the others are free ranging, try blocking the access to the nest boxes to break their habit of eating the eggs.

Best of luck to you, and congratulations on rescuing these chickens. Beak trimming should be against the law.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

You may also want to try golf balls (or similar, I have small porcelain salt shakers) in the nest boxes. They look like eggs but are harder and don't break like eggs. They may try to eat them and realize it's a BAD idea to try to eat such hard objects as the ones in the nest boxes. Combined with the layer mash I think it'd make eating eggs far less appealing than eating their normal food! I have heard this helps break egg eaters of their habit even with a full beak.

 

[hiltopsassafras]

Thanks poodlechickens...I love poodles by the way! I have mama sitting in the nest box and they are ajoining boxes so no can do for now. Good thought though! I have the 3 sweet bad girls isolated in a large run. They can come out and try again next week after the new babies are born. The mama sitting is an O Shamo japanese fighting bird....ALL of them will leave her and her babies alone!

I am so thankful for the answer I have recieved here. I really did not know what to do with them! They will have a good productive life out here for sure now...thanks to everyone

Sassy and the bad girls!

 

[dandrews1971]

What about adding roll out nest boxes? Where the eggs roll away as soon as they are laid?

 

[hiltopsassafras]

Chocolatemouse...love your handle!...When I switch them around again if the egg breaking happens I will try that next. That's a great idea! They are loving their mash so anything hard will probly upset them. Thanks.

Dandrews. I want my O Shamo to sit on eggs til I have as many birds as I am aiming for. I take the other eggs and put them under her when she goes broody so she sits on a few at a time. She is a BROODY BEAST so this will go on for a while. I dont want any babies in the winter so I am planning for her to sit next Spring and Summer too. Otherwise, that would be very convenient and completely deal with the problem.

This is a great forum to learn on!!
Thanks!
Sassy

 

[happyhens1972]

I don't think the death rate on that stops there...We had one die within a day of getting here. Her weekend immune system...I am gonna say due to the beak trimming...got her. I think beak trim on this because no other chicken has had a problem, and these 4 are identical, same breed, behavior and problems.
Beak Trimming is a bad deal.
Sassy

Oh the death rate of commercial battery flocks certainly doesn't stop there. There is a 10% expected loss rate of chicks on de-beaking, a further 5% from the sexing process (not including EVERY male here in the UK as we only use the females, the boys are fed straight into a mincer or a gas chamber for either pet food or day old chicks for falconry/reptile food) Then there is the loss rate from the initial stresses and strains of mass co-habitation....another 10%. Then there are the later deaths due to stress, attack, trampling, poor handling, respiratory complaint and overall trauma. By the time a battery egg layer or a meat bird gets to slaughter (or rescue!) there has been anything up to 50% loss from the initial number. It's scary really but hey, we do like our eggs and our KFC, eh?

Incidentally, I am not vegetarian and although I don't eat eggs this is due to intolerance of them (I barf!), not a conscientious decision so I am not preaching to anyone. I do choose to buy free range organic meat and free range eggs and .I have rescued a number of ex batts but I am not kidding myself that makes me a hero cos I do eat the occasional KFC, I eat chicken when we eat out and have no idea where it comes from and I eat egg products which are undoubtedly not made from free range eggs. I do my bit but I'm aware I'm part of the problem too

 

[icbleu]

I am thrilled to hear beaks may grow back. Thiers are very short!

Good thing to note here is that beaks are much like human fingernails. They will grow back like HappyHens mentioned. However, like fingernails, they can wear down too, or even split if the hen is unhealthy or not receiving the correct nutrition. I own a Blue and Gold Macaw that was born with a deformed beak. When this happens with chickens, most folks cull them, but in the Parroting world, we just let the deformity grow out and feed them soft foods until the bird can begin normal feeding.

My advice is If you want the beaks to grow back faster and stronger, you should be aware that any and all pecking on stuff can wear the growing tips slightly and could potentially slow the recovery to full beak glory. Mash food is soft and at least will get food into them without undue wear and tear on their growing beaks, as well as providing soft fruits and veggies high in calcium throughout the day. I would never encourage impeding a natural bird's pecking behavior, but by providing soft foods and healthy pro-beak-growing snacks you can lower the amount of beak pecks on hard surfaces that might impede faster beak growth. YMMV.

 

[hiltopsassafras]

Happyhen. I am more like traditional vegetarian, not the new extreme vegan/ fruitaian/raw food type. I eat fish and eggs and some cheese. Other than that...I just don't digest meat well. Female Hormones is all I am sayin!

I do love my animals but we sell cattle for beef, have done sheep, goats and now the chickens. If a dog kills anything and we had one that did. It goes, she killed several sheep, for game...she had to be put down. So, although I love them all, we are rednecks. through and through. It cant all be perfect.

Icbleu I know I have said this a dozen times but I am sooo thrilled the beaks will grow back. We did a pellet mash with egg shell powdered and wet oyster shells and wet the scratch. Hubby cut the side out of a 1 gallon water jug and left the top and bottom in tact. The weight of the food being wet will not let them dump it and the plastic is soft so I figured if their beaks hit it it would be soft. They have been eating like crazy.
How long does it take the beak to grow back?
Sassy

 

[angel8035]

Happyhen. I am more like traditional vegetarian, not the new extreme vegan/ fruitaian/raw food type. I eat fish and eggs and some cheese. Other than that...I just don't digest meat well. Female Hormones is all I am sayin!

I do love my animals but we sell cattle for beef, have done sheep, goats and now the chickens. If a dog kills anything and we had one that did. It goes, she killed several sheep, for game...she had to be put down. So, although I love them all, we are rednecks. through and through. It cant all be perfect.

Icbleu I know I have said this a dozen times but I am sooo thrilled the beaks will grow back. We did a pellet mash with egg shell powdered and wet oyster shells and wet the scratch. Hubby cut the side out of a 1 gallon water jug and left the top and bottom in tact. The weight of the food being wet will not let them dump it and the plastic is soft so I figured if their beaks hit it it would be soft. They have been eating like crazy.
How long does it take the beak to grow back?
Sassy

I don't want to burst any bubbles, but not all beaks will grow back. It depends how much was initially cut off - usually the battery cage hens have so much cut off that it will never grow back. If the tip of a healthy beak accidentally breaks off, that beak will grow back. I have rescued ex bats several times and their beaks just didn't grow back - there is too much nerve damage

The layer crumbles will help - my birds live a happy life despite their deformity. I just wish they would end this barbaric practice, but hey it's all about the bottom $ in this country.