- Jun 9, 2012
- 274
- 5
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Hi everyone...
Before I moved house and got 2 more hens I had no problems, since then it's been one problem after another...
This time I'm asking about a bullying hen.
I used to have 3 hens and I just got 2 more recently. I took the introduction slowly, first by keeping the 2 new ones in a rabbit hutch in the run of my older ones then by letting them into a temporary run inside the other's. this worked brilliantly and by the time I let them out into the run with the others they were fine, then one night the 2 new ones (Daffy and Birdie) just went to sleep in the other's coop and everyone was fine with that, all on the perches.
The next night Birdie wouldn't let anyone into the coop including Daffy. At last this was sorted and no one got pecked at bedtime. Birdie gets along fine with the others, particularly Teazel, one of my old hens who was and still is at the bottom of the pecking order. Then Daffy started to peck everyone. It is frequently the case that I find Bonnie and Dido, who used to be at the top of the pecking order, in the nest boxes because they can't get onto the perches because Daffy won't let them on.
Now it isn't only at night but through out the day and she just won't stop pecking them!!
Bonnie, Dido and Teazel (especially Bonnie and Teazel because Dido is quite small and can get away quickly) have all got severe feather damage at the top of their back and aroud their necks. I hate to see them so stressed out and all three have stopped laying with the stress.
I watched Dido go into the coop as if she wanted to lay but Daffy ran in after her and pecked her out.
I didn't mean to right such a long post.. ah well, can anyone help?
Tanith.
Before I moved house and got 2 more hens I had no problems, since then it's been one problem after another...
This time I'm asking about a bullying hen.
I used to have 3 hens and I just got 2 more recently. I took the introduction slowly, first by keeping the 2 new ones in a rabbit hutch in the run of my older ones then by letting them into a temporary run inside the other's. this worked brilliantly and by the time I let them out into the run with the others they were fine, then one night the 2 new ones (Daffy and Birdie) just went to sleep in the other's coop and everyone was fine with that, all on the perches.
The next night Birdie wouldn't let anyone into the coop including Daffy. At last this was sorted and no one got pecked at bedtime. Birdie gets along fine with the others, particularly Teazel, one of my old hens who was and still is at the bottom of the pecking order. Then Daffy started to peck everyone. It is frequently the case that I find Bonnie and Dido, who used to be at the top of the pecking order, in the nest boxes because they can't get onto the perches because Daffy won't let them on.
Now it isn't only at night but through out the day and she just won't stop pecking them!!
Bonnie, Dido and Teazel (especially Bonnie and Teazel because Dido is quite small and can get away quickly) have all got severe feather damage at the top of their back and aroud their necks. I hate to see them so stressed out and all three have stopped laying with the stress.
I watched Dido go into the coop as if she wanted to lay but Daffy ran in after her and pecked her out.
I didn't mean to right such a long post.. ah well, can anyone help?
Tanith.