Hi! I'm Anne. I have a prob with 2 of my girls and can't figure out how to help them. Paprika has turned into an egg eater. GAH! Chicken dinner this weekend since she just wont stop. I know it's her cause she's in her own area and she only has her eggs to eat. She's a good layer so I hate to lose her but she pecked one of my other Girls (Ginger) badly enough that she's missing all the feathers off her back and had a HUGE bloody patch. Ginger is the other problem child. Her comb is and always has been pale and droopy and a bit dry feeling BUT she lays the prettiest eggs every 20 hours or so like clockwork. Literally my best layer. Ginger gets treats, they all do really (yogart, fresh veg/fruit, really anything she likes) so her diet is good, plenty of fresh water. I had always thought that if they had paly droopy combs they weren't laying? I'm confused. She even laid an egg on schedule right after her attack and hasn't missed even one. Ginger is in solitary but in close view of the others til her injury heals, she's healing nicely but it's still going to be a couple weeks til her feathers come back in to any degree. Paprika is in solitary just since she turned mean, she pecks whoever she's with in the same spot on their backs so that's not gonna happen. I have one one more Red named Saffron and 1 Barrred Rock (Greta) that ALL the Girls attack whenever she's in so SHE's in solitary but still in full close view of the others, she's a month younger than the others hopefully we can integrate her in soon. Then there are 3 hpb which are in with Saffron. They at least seem to get along. The Reds are laying but the Blacks haven't started. Does any of this make sense? Thank you one and all, Anne
Welcome to BYC! Sorry to hear about all your chicken troubles, hopefully once the bully is removed you get some peace in the coop. Regarding the comb question, some of my layers have redder combs than the others so I don't think that is anything to be concerned about. You might want to post in this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/18/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying good luck to you.
Greetings from Kansas, GrammaGryphon, and ! Pleased you joined us! Here's wishing you better luck with your chickens!!
Oddly enough Miss Bully laid an egg yesterday and this morning without ANY problems at all! Perhaps there was just something wrong with the ones she ate? Or maybe she was just bored those days LOL. Paprika IS an odd bird. Ginger, the wounded one, is doing very well. Hasn't stopped for even a day! The other Red, Saffron, laid eggs 3 days running-her first, and then stopped. Guess she's still working on the process. The Blacks are at 22 weeks and not an egg in sight. Oh well, they'll start when they're ready. Saffron is tooo funny. The past 4 days I've gone out to the run ans asked her if she has an egg for me today and she's dropped one. Right then and there. No strain, no Happy Chicken noises, just plop and there it is. She really doens't like solitary. I move her crate right next to the run and she calms down but if there's an inch between she bangs her beak on the bars like in an old prison movie. Silly Girl. The Blacks all but crow when they are hungry in the mornings and refuse to stop til their food is in front of them. When WILL they lay. Sigh. Time to move them outside. Have a Great Day and thanks for all your good wishes!!! Anne