Mus

iTrader: (2)

hi guys got some x battery hens, had them for a bout a week and for some odd reason two of the chickens are always picking on one. ive been reading on the net that it should settle down but its a week now and yet they still sorting out the pecking order they bullying is more now than before. im having to isolate the victim by feeding her seprately and taking her out the cage. at night time they settle and its ok in there coop. but day time they always pecking on her.

how long does it take to settle roughly as im thinking of taking the victim back and just keeping two hens instead.

and funny enough the one that gets bullied gets on with my pitbull cross and the other two are **** scared lol

PaulC72

Ex battery hens are funny.

Are they now free range or do you still have then couped up?

The pecking order should get established soon it can take a few weeks but it depends on the hens etc

I don't want to worry you but be aware ex battery hens have usually had a harsh list and are only there for egg production their freedom is not a concern of the past owners, sometimes they will just give up on life as they find freedom too much. If they make it past around 6 weeks they may be ok but from wha tI have read before usually 1 in 6 don't make it.

Either way if they last 6 weeks and have had freedom for that time you have done something good an liberated them for that period.

Petem95

Jamie

Get that rat from the other thread put them in a steel cage film it

Wagon Gaz

iTrader: (18)

Could be the odd one out was not in the same cage as the others origionaly, having said that we run ours in two lots as they wont all get on. On the plus side ex batts usually lay very well.

Mus

iTrader: (2)

well I'm more than pleased it's one egg a day and the eggs are huge and get taster day by day, they have a 15 by 15 ft fenced grass area and in there they have there coop. I'm actuallly surprised they very tame. Ive tied bits of boiled broccoli with strings and hanged it there for them to to peck at just to try and spice things up I've given them some oyster shells too to try and stop them pecking the other one.

not sure if try were from a different cage buy the two brown ones are picking on the White one lol

I just hope they do stop, I'm pretty please how my dog has taken to them I've just come back from work and my mrs has let them out in the whole garden with my pitbill cross sandy and so far all good no problems from either side.

PaulC72

AS I sadi earlier they should but it takes a little time.

We have just introduced 4 new ranger hens to our 5 rhode island hens and they are currently sorting out the pecking order, with the odd squark and chase but it'll settle down.

tonight i expec tthem all to sleep together without nay fuss (although the new ones may need some help finding the coup lol) and then the fun can start again tomorrow..

RA Dunk

Kill the victim and turn it into curry, problem solved and you get a dinner from it, everyones a winner apart from the chicken.

Jamescsti

[quote=Mus;10073882]
not sure if try were from a different cage buy the two brown ones are picking on the White one lol

[quote]

Your hens are clearly racist!!

Mus

iTrader: (2)

I thought the same but the mrs has named them already so a bit late lol

deanb1980

chinese style with egg fried rice lol

c_maguire

Keep an eye out for poultry mites or powder/spray for them in any case as this is often a problem with ex battery hens.

Mus

iTrader: (2)

I though I needed something to keep them clean, I'm cleaning there area and changing all the hay and stuff once every 3 days. messy ******.

PaulC72

You may want to use shreaded newpaper instead of hay as hay can get quite dusty and carry mold spores.

There are some great websites on the internet for advice.

Leslie

I remember that it often happens that one gets bullied from years ago when we had hens too.

If one got badly pecked they used to put some kind of black stuff in the place where it got pecked which tasted horrible and that stopped the problem more or less anyway.

Les

Jamie

[QUOTE=Jamescsti;10074031][quote=Mus;10073882]
not sure if try were from a different cage buy the two brown ones are picking on the White one lol

What he said

Mus

iTrader: (2)

I haven't stopped reading Bout them for the past week

I'll try the paper trick

PaulC72

Plus it save a bale load of money ;-) just ask your friends for their unwanted stuff and shred it.

Mus

iTrader: (2)

will do thanks mate