Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

Marlow likes the rug too. ​

 

[BY Bob]

This afternoon was the afternoon I lost it. I have feather pluckers! I've identified my 4 major culprits: Soda [alpha BR], Lavender [My Frizzle], Suyin [my wannabe, Favorelle X] & Patricia [BR]. This afternoon Soda kept going for Hepzibah [BR & a top girl]. The poor girl is not only denuded around her tail but I suspect she has been self~mutilating as well as her tummy is almost completely bare & if anyone is going to go broody it will be this girl. She's a nest sitter & an egg hogger as well.
Both my Campines have had their rumps plucked bare as well so I put both Soda & Suyin in the small coop. I considered Lavender as well but I seriously don't think she could manage to get up the ramp into the smaller coop. Patricia is more of a follower so I've left her too.

I really, really was hoping to avoid this. Tonight was heart breaking. I had Soda circling the pen trying to get back with the flock, then @ roosting time Suyin kept calling & got terribly agitated. She didn't go to roost until it was nearly too dark to see.

My pecking order was already upset by losing Pebbles. No~one messed with that hen! Now it seems I must shake it up again to give those being bullied a break. I'm hoping Luna will rise to the challenge & assume leadership. She's calm & fair & everyone seems to get on with her but I can see me having to pull the other 2 bullies out too. And no, I don't think they are protein deprived. They get fish, mealworms & scrambled egg as routine treats. They have plenty of space & things to entertain them.

Misbehaving hens is no fun. I hope you do not have to do too much separating. It really sounds like you really need a hen to step up and try to control this group. Weren't you trying to convince me to get some BRs. They sound like trouble.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe they would be happy with dropped feathers instead, if you put them in the feeder?

I have tons of feathers right now. I could ship you a box if you like. Everyone is dropping them.

 

[Ribh]

Misbehaving hens is no fun. I hope you do not have to do too much separating. It really sounds like you really need a hen to step up and try to control this group. Weren't you trying to convince me to get some BRs. They sound like trouble.

They have their good points: like laying through winter & their molt. Never missed a beat. They're lovely with me but aren't so keen on their relations!

 

[Ribh]

I have tons of feathers right now. I could ship you a box if you like. Everyone is dropping them.

This is where I can see a rooster being useful.

 

[Ribh]

Misbehaving hens is no fun. I hope you do not have to do too much separating. It really sounds like you really need a hen to step up and try to control this group. Weren't you trying to convince me to get some BRs. They sound like trouble.

This is where I wish I had a ton more experience. I can see what's going on. I'm dealing with the symptoms but the underlying cause baffles me.

I lost 2 birds in 2 weeks & the flock barely missed a beat. I lose 1 & chaos erupts. Part of the problem is I seem to have no lead hen ~ not really. It should be Hepzibah, but she hasn't cared for the position [she's always been a bit of a loner] & abdicated. She also looks like she's thinking about going broody now the warm weather's arrived. She really is a bit of a nut job but I'm particularly fond of her nuttiness. Soda is trying her best but she suffers from *youngest child syndrome* & doesn't really have the authority. She also has Suyin, Lavender & occasionally Patricia constantly trying to usurp her authority. The one hen, when she can be bothered, who is able to put my troublesome middle trio in their place is Luna ~ & mostly she can't be bothered. This is leaving my bottom 3 particularly vulnerable. It seems to be a squabble for 2nd in command but all 3 hens are fairly equal in size, ability & dominance ~ & none of them would be my choice because of that tendency to bully. Luna is bigger & heavier, so can assert her dominance without causing injury, but she is a super calm, easy~going bird who is able to happily go about her business without interference from anyone else ~ which she does, while the flock squabbles around her.

None of my present hens have the really strong personalities my Australorps had ~ but I don't want more Aussies either. They're lovely but they have dominance issues & as I really want more Campines, who don't...

It is frustrating as I want to add new birds next year so I want my flock calm & stable enough to deal with the stress new birds always bring.

 

[BY Bob]

This is where I wish I had a ton more experience. I can see what's going on. I'm dealing with the symptoms but the underlying cause baffles me.

I lost 2 birds in 2 weeks & the flock barely missed a beat. I lose 1 & chaos erupts. Part of the problem is I seem to have no lead hen ~ not really. It should be Hepzibah, but she hasn't cared for the position [she's always been a bit of a loner] & abdicated. She also looks like she's thinking about going broody now the warm weather's arrived. She really is a bit of a nut job but I'm particularly fond of her nuttiness. Soda is trying her best but she suffers from *youngest child syndrome* & doesn't really have the authority. She also has Suyin, Lavender & occasionally Patricia constantly trying to usurp her authority. The one hen, when she can be bothered, who is able to put my troublesome middle trio in their place is Luna ~ & mostly she can't be bothered. This is leaving my bottom 3 particularly vulnerable. It seems to be a squabble for 2nd in command but all 3 hens are fairly equal in size, ability & dominance ~ & none of them would be my choice because of that tendency to bully. Luna is bigger & heavier, so can assert her dominance without causing injury, but she is a super calm, easy~going bird who is able to happily go about her business without interference from anyone else ~ which she does, while the flock squabbles around her.

None of my present hens have the really strong personalities my Australorps had ~ but I don't want more Aussies either. They're lovely but they have dominance issues & as I really want more Campines, who don't...

It is frustrating as I want to add new birds next year so I want my flock calm & stable enough to deal with the stress new birds always bring.

They are not going to let you choose for them. They need to figure it out. Hopefully someone will get sick of it too and step up. My transitions have always been smooth but I have much fewer birds than you. I have something going myself. I'm not sure that if Lilly passed Hattie would just inherit. Maleficent might make a move and that's why I think Hattie has gotten nasty to Aurora at bedtime.

It's kind of like Game of Thrones out there right now. Lots of positioning going on.

 

[Ribh]

They are not going to let you choose for them. They need to figure it out. Hopefully someone will get sick of it too and step up. My transitions have always been smooth but I have much fewer birds than you. I have something going myself. I'm not sure that if Lilly passed Hattie would just inherit. Maleficent might make a move and that's why I think Hattie has gotten nasty to Aurora at bedtime.

It's kind of like Game of Thrones out there right now. Lots of positioning going on.

Very Game of Throneish!

I was letting it ride & hoping it would resolve itself fairly quickly but now they're plucking pin feathers & close to drawing blood so I stepped in. The girls in isolation are unhappy. The rest seem to be cruising. It is a lot cooler today with lots of wind so everyone can stay in their separate coop areas.

 

[drumstick diva]

Yes, Game of Throneish - have you checked them all for weapons? They can hide a lot of things under their wings.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Marlow likes the rug too. ​

View attachment 1954365

That's a lovely photo Ribh. Your artistic side is showing again!