- May 3, 2008
- 27
- 0
- 22
I have the same issue coming on. It is one young hen. I bought two Araucanas. One had most of her rear feathers beat off; the man said roosters.
She gets on quite well with our rooster, running to hide behind him. But the others have been just bratty. We give them sunflower treats, clods and hay to scratch in. She was beginning to get feathers on her back, even the little bronze tips. I thought we were on the way up!
Tonight we came home to find her wounded on one side with blood near her tail and favoring a wing. We isolated her, which really hurts her feelings and cleaned up her wound. she has her own pen with water, laying mash, grit and oyster shell in their separate containers and a little house of her own. She was so confused about having to stay alone.
We began with five hens, 3 Buffies and two mature Wyandottes and a RIR rooster from the same farm. We added the Araucanas, Loretta 1 and Loretta 2 one week later...the good araucana Loretta 1, lays eggs great, but she is the meanest to the wounded one. She just jabs the wounded Loretta 2 on the butt whenever she walks past. Keeps Loretta 2 a little on the goosey side, as you might expect. She just anticipates being thumped.
Then, the third week, we added two Australorps. Liza 1 and Liza 2.
There are two mature hens and the others are all young hens/pullets. The Aussies had the feathers off their heads; the people said roosters. But, tonight, one of them had some feathers beat off her back too.
We really thought maybe with the extended group and new feathers for Loretta 2, the abuse would stop.
They have a large pen with all sorts of varmint protection, grass in the pen, we give them treats, vinegar in the water, free choice laying mash and hen scratch, a box of granite grit and a box of oyster shell, 6 large nest boxes and a fine roost in an 8x8 house with windows. They are outside all day if they choose. The whole set up is brand new for them. One of the Buffs is feeling dumpy, but spent one day in the house, then has come out to scratch. She isn't quite as cocky as she was (and the others are).
These chickens are more stress than children. Today they caught a frog in the pen. There was some sort of dust up that DH just got in the end of (for the frog) that could have caused some of the injuries and feather loss to the Aussie, but she got the frog.
The first chickens had music at their house 24/7. Maybe we need to figure out something, but there isn't power at their house yet. There is a steady hum of traffic on the highway (that they can't see) and a dog. They are curious about him. He barks too much, but they don't seem to pay any attention to him; they had a noisier dog.
Of eight hens, the one Araucana is the best layer. Saturday will be 2 weeks here and we have seven eggs. We get 1 egg a day; a couple days 4. Yesterday, some body laid an egg in the yard. Maybe we are just wanting them to settle down too soon.
She gets on quite well with our rooster, running to hide behind him. But the others have been just bratty. We give them sunflower treats, clods and hay to scratch in. She was beginning to get feathers on her back, even the little bronze tips. I thought we were on the way up!
Tonight we came home to find her wounded on one side with blood near her tail and favoring a wing. We isolated her, which really hurts her feelings and cleaned up her wound. she has her own pen with water, laying mash, grit and oyster shell in their separate containers and a little house of her own. She was so confused about having to stay alone.
We began with five hens, 3 Buffies and two mature Wyandottes and a RIR rooster from the same farm. We added the Araucanas, Loretta 1 and Loretta 2 one week later...the good araucana Loretta 1, lays eggs great, but she is the meanest to the wounded one. She just jabs the wounded Loretta 2 on the butt whenever she walks past. Keeps Loretta 2 a little on the goosey side, as you might expect. She just anticipates being thumped.
Then, the third week, we added two Australorps. Liza 1 and Liza 2.
There are two mature hens and the others are all young hens/pullets. The Aussies had the feathers off their heads; the people said roosters. But, tonight, one of them had some feathers beat off her back too.
We really thought maybe with the extended group and new feathers for Loretta 2, the abuse would stop.
They have a large pen with all sorts of varmint protection, grass in the pen, we give them treats, vinegar in the water, free choice laying mash and hen scratch, a box of granite grit and a box of oyster shell, 6 large nest boxes and a fine roost in an 8x8 house with windows. They are outside all day if they choose. The whole set up is brand new for them. One of the Buffs is feeling dumpy, but spent one day in the house, then has come out to scratch. She isn't quite as cocky as she was (and the others are).
These chickens are more stress than children. Today they caught a frog in the pen. There was some sort of dust up that DH just got in the end of (for the frog) that could have caused some of the injuries and feather loss to the Aussie, but she got the frog.
The first chickens had music at their house 24/7. Maybe we need to figure out something, but there isn't power at their house yet. There is a steady hum of traffic on the highway (that they can't see) and a dog. They are curious about him. He barks too much, but they don't seem to pay any attention to him; they had a noisier dog.
Of eight hens, the one Araucana is the best layer. Saturday will be 2 weeks here and we have seven eggs. We get 1 egg a day; a couple days 4. Yesterday, some body laid an egg in the yard. Maybe we are just wanting them to settle down too soon.
