Chicken house/run help please

Daftanian

Hi,
Just wondered if anyone had or knew someone in the Essex area that would be willing to lend me or rent me a chicken coop with run. I have one ex battery hen that is much smaller than my other two and is being terribly bullied. I just want to separate them for a while and try and get them used to each other. I am the first to admit I am rubbish at DIY, although I might have to resort to this! Any help or suggestions please?

lallysmum

I don't have a spare chicken house ( I do have a duck house, but not sure it would be any good for you)

Have you a shed you could stick her in for a while? When mine were picking on one particular hen, I put her in my son's wooden playhouse for a week, and just stuck a piece of wood across for a perch and a washing up bowl for a nest..

Daftanian

lallysmum wrote: »

I don't have a spare chicken house ( I do have a duck house, but not sure it would be any good for you)

Have you a shed you could stick her in for a while? When mine were picking on one particular hen, I put her in my son's wooden playhouse for a week, and just stuck a piece of wood across for a perch and a washing up bowl for a nest..

I have an old shed at the bottom of the garden but felt very guilty at the thought of her being locked away again and this time on her own. How did you get your hen integrated in the end?

lallysmum

Do you let them free range at all? Could you lock the others in their run, let her peck around in the garden and see how they get on?

Mine free range all the time, when the others were picking on Curried (*sigh*) I shut them all in their house (small run attached) and allowed Curry to free range. She sort of made her way over throughout the day until they stopped bothering her.

You could always try shutting her in the shed for an hour or so before bedtime, and when the others are all tucked up nicely, pop her in the same house as them. They don't tend to mind each other when they are all sleeping - that's also how I introduced new hens to the flock.

And finally, you could also try some anti pecking spray, lots of different types around if you have a quick google (am on my phone and it would take me years to do it..)

ljonski

Post your problem on this website ,
http://www.downthelane.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=4033876afcde350e3ba1406232fad856

Daftanian

I do let them free range during the day but every time the other two see her they go after her. Thankfully she can run faster than they can. I have put an extra feeding dish and water bowl at the end of the garden for her but this is not an option when it rains. I have tried spraying her with an anti pecking/antiseptic spray (purple) but to no avail.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Have just joined the other forum, so thanks for that idea as well.

Chickens can't half be mean to each other...shame.:(