Help - chicken issues!

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Sarah Keir — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:58:17 GMT

I got the Girls to learn about chickens as we are seeing an increasing number of our small animal clients bringing them in to us. My knowledge has increased from zero to a small amount but at least I can sound competent when I discuss chickens! I enjoy them but I think a good part of that is the free range eggs so to me they are more like livestock which is a bit contradictory considering I am a smallie vet! But then I eat rabbit too - just not my patients! Not much eating on them anyway

Re: Help - chicken issues!

ceri stewart — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:47:08 GMT

Could you separate the bully from the other 2 for a bit, see if the others get on ok, might bring the bully down a notch? Also, anti-pecking spray (tastes disgusting) sprayed on key areas of white hen may discourage the bad habit.

I feel your pain on where to post: my chickens go to a different vet from all my other pets as my usual practice "doesn't treat farm animals". My feeling is that they aren't livestock, they have names. The vet they go to regards them as exotics :)

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Anthony Dennison — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:33:28 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]Fortunately the hunt arrived next door yesterday . Welsh farmers' hunt - no nobs on horses, no pink coats - just a few (incredibly smelly) hounds and 22 wizened old men with shotguns - well-tanked up on whiskey - very effective - they got 12 foxes in one morning....![/quote]

When we had a fox problem when I was younger my dad laced a load of eggs and dead chicks with some pentobarbitone - game keeper found a stoned fox wandering down a path the next day!

However, he had cracked one of the eggs on our lawn, where our dacshund found it and greedily lapped it up. 48 hours of unconsciousness later, he was fine. The little git refuses to die; he can eat chocolate no problem, and is currently 16 and a half, on vetoryl and aktivait, and showing signs of LaForas dz, but still seems happy enough

Re: Help - chicken issues!

tess — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:22:27 GMT

?scatter the food over a wide area so they each have plenty of space to eat, and they have to do a bit of foraging for it- it may help to distract.

Hens are cruel. When we introduced a young cockerel, he wasn't allowed in the henhouse at night- boss hen attacked him. He also wasn't allowed to feed until she allowed him to .

Of course it's all different now

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Mark Holmes — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:20:19 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]

I put up a post a few weeks ago on my ex-bats 'Before and After'.

One arrived very bald and was being bullied unmercifully by the others - especially when she tried to share food. However with plenty of space, an interesting environment indoors - plus free range outdoors and lots of different feeding stations she quickly re-grew her feathers and equally quickly the bullying stopped. She 's now the prettiest of the lot and totally integrated.

I think plenty of space, an interesting environment - i.e. lots of perches and nest boxes, bedding to scratch, ad lib food (free range ideally) and plenty of different feeding stations are all beneficial.

Mind you, free-range is not all good news - we had Mr Fox visit two days ago - one chook down (just a few feathers left). Fortunately the hunt arrived next door yesterday . Welsh farmers' hunt - no nobs on horses, no pink coats - just a few (incredibly smelly) hounds and 22 wizened old men with shotguns - well-tanked up on whiskey - very effective - they got 12 foxes in one morning....!

[/quote]

Lucky you I had 15 chickens and 7 ducks 8 weeks ago, I now have 4 chickens 3 ducks and far fewer omlets

Re: Help - chicken issues!

bob lehner — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:15:16 GMT

I put up a post a few weeks ago on my ex-bats 'Before and After'.

Mind you, free-range is not all good news - we had Mr Fox visit two days ago - one chook down (just a few feathers left). Fortunately the hunt arrived next door yesterday . Welsh farmers' hunt - no nobs on horses, no pink coats - just a few (incredibly smelly) hounds and 22 wizened old men with shotguns - well-warmed up on whisky - very effective - they got 12 foxes in one morning....!

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:24:41 GMT

[quote user="Sarah Keir"]got her a chicken jumper[/quote]

Sarah - I may have a solution; the local auction mart is holding a dressed poultry sale on Saturday..........

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Mark Holmes — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:52:28 GMT

I have never had difficulty mixing new chickens into my flock but then I have some space. I tend to roost them separately to start with and allow them loads of space to mix for a number of weeks. When I eventually plan for them to live together I always introduce the newcomers at night. It has always worked fine like that with no bullying.

Re: Help - chicken issues!

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:34:07 GMT

Sarah - chickens are cruel. If the boss hen won't take the other then chances are they can never live together. Your only hope would be to move them all elsewhere at night so they wake up somewhere new. Once a 'pecking order' has re-established then you could move them back.

I've had old hens kill newly introduced animals before.