Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Mumof2_2

Kimitatsu wrote: »

Are they all girls? If so the easiest solution is to get a male - girls tend to bicker and bully each other if they are left together. Yes it is very normal but their feathers will grow back at the next moult.

Thank you, yes, they are all girls. Bit reluctant to get a male really because of all the crowing and we've got neighbours on all sides. Think I'd better get some anti-peck spray perhaps.

mardatha

Minette- what's paraffin oil ? Is it liquid paraffin from the chemist ?

mardatha

This is how a stoat or weasel kills, the latter can get through surprisingly tiny holes. But I dont know anything about chickens so it might be something else. Poor wee souls xxx I hope you find out what it was.

mardatha

ave you got mink there ?

Mumof2_2

Mojisola wrote: »

As it might not be feasible to get a cockerel - although this does sort out a lot of bad behaviour among the hens! - there's a couple of other possibilities.

Try separating Tikka from the other hens for a little while - say a week. She's obviously top of the pecking order - literally as well as figuratively. If you take her out of the group, they will sort themselves out into a new order and when you put her back, it's unlikely that she will go straight back in as No. 1. That will reduce the pecking.

As well as this, it would be worth dosing them all with a tonic because feather pecking can start because the hens are short of minerals.

Sometimes you just get a hen that bullies or is bullied by the rest of the flock. Hens do have personality clashes! In the past, we've taken on a hen who was tormented by the rest of our friend's flock. She settled in well with our girls and the cockerel with no problems.

Added: I missed out another cause - not knowing your set-up, this might apply. Overcrowding and boredom can lead chickens into bad habits like feather-pecking. Have they got enough room and an interesting enough environment to keep them busy?

Sorry, missed your response. It will be difficult to keep Tikka separate to be honest - we have a Cube with a run and there is nowhere different she can go. They are in the Cube run all morning and then at lunch time I let them out into the main run and give them some more pellets, then a bit later on any scraps and some corn. Their run is just mud right now but I'm sure everyone is the same.

Tonic is a good idea - think I'll get that along with the anti pecking spray.

Thanks for your input too!

superskintmouse

You poor thing!!
Have you got a cat basket or a box you can put her in overnight? if she was mine i would bring her in the house to be on the safe side! it sounds as tho it is some kind of predator rather than them dying of a disease, i dont think the others would have caused the wound after they died. what type of house do you have? do you have an attached run? It could be getting in from underneath rather than the sides check to see if anything has burrowed through. I would treat your remaining hen for shock, keep her warm and quiet and safe. she should be ok but i wouldnt let her sleep out there until you have worked out whats going on.
You can buy worming powder liquid and grain stuff you mix with their food, go to flyte so fancy online and they will have anything you need.
I can also recommend down the lane, everyone is very helpful and they may have more of an idea of whats going on.

Good luck.

Mojisola

Like everyone else, I've never come across this. If it's a predator killing the birds, why isn't it eating them? It's very strange. I do hope you can find out what is happening.

angelsmomma

Oh poor you. I feel the same about my girls, I love them as much as my dogs too.

I second dawemouse, I would bring her in overnight until you know for sure what it is. I brought mine in over bonfire night and put them in cat baskets. Don't put her anywhere too warm though as they can overheat easily.

ChocClare

You can use Verm-X as a wormer/general parasite killer and that's very good, but it also helps to put a bit of garlic in their food and cider vinegar in their water while you're waiting to worm them as that will kill off anything nasty all the year round (don't worry, you don't get garlic eggs).

I'm really sorry to hear about your hens. I have to say, it sounds like a predator to me. My ex-batts, who don't live very long, sort of slow down and get a bit like old ladies before they die and you can always tell when they're going to do so - I've never been "surprised" by one of the hens dying as we've been expecting it from their general behaviour every time. Something sudden like this is quite different. I've just been looking online and there's a site about weasels which says: Occasionally weasels raid poultry houses at night and kill or injure domestic fowl. They feed on the warm blood of victims bitten in the head or neck. Rat predation on poultry usually differs in that portions of the body may be eaten and carcasses dragged into holes or concealed locations.

So that does sound like a weasel. Cat travel box in the kitchen tonight for your remaining chook sounds like a very good idea...

Gigervamp

Re scaly leg mite, I'm told that vaseline smothers the critters. Also, it can be treated with frontline for cats.