EHK-312 Posted November 22, 2019 Report Share Posted November 22, 2019 Hello Again On a slightly different note from the shooting world, I’ve recently had some issues with my small flock of hens and was after some sound advice. I had a flock of three until I discovered blood on the eggs last Sunday and after investigating I saw one of the hens had been pecked away at her vent, leading to them pecking further round to the top of her leg so a golf ball size open wound had appeared down to the bone. The wound was too far gone and I took the decision to be cruel to be kind and tap her on the head. When I got home this evening I found again blood again on the eggs and when I checked them again another hen had been pecked at her vent and blood had been drawn. After inspecting the wound on this bird it seemed to be the same as the last and the outcome was inevitable. This leads me on to my remaining hen and what to do with her and to why this happened. Once a hen seems to have a taste for blood as she does, do they ever snap out of it ? As I wouldn’t want to introduce new chickens only for this to occur again. Also what can cause a hen to start this behaviour ? As the three have lived happily in their pen together for the last 5 months and I’m a little lost as to what has gone wrong in the last week or two. Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Kill the culprit. Stress/boredom is usually the catalyst. Had major trouble with the turkeys 6 weeks ago. They knocked their feeder over and decided the way to relive their hunger was to try and peck each others heads off. Fortunately they healed and are fine now but I have to check them 3 times a day in case they knock the food over again. I know the culprits but Xmas is too far away to kill them yet! Enrichment helps. Windfall apples have been handy. Big bunches of greenery tied up so they have to work to get it. Anything to distract them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Benthejockey said: Kill the culprit. Stress/boredom is usually the catalyst. Had major trouble with the turkeys 6 weeks ago. They knocked their feeder over and decided the way to relive their hunger was to try and peck each others heads off. Fortunately they healed and are fine now but I have to check them 3 times a day in case they knock the food over again. I know the culprits but Xmas is too far away to kill them yet! Enrichment helps. Windfall apples have been handy. Big bunches of greenery tied up so they have to work to get it. Anything to distract them. Tinfoil balls milk bottle tops Also distract them and spray any pecks( wounds blood) with purple spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Benthejockey said: Kill the culprit. Stress/boredom is usually the catalyst. Had major trouble with the turkeys 6 weeks ago. They knocked their feeder over and decided the way to relive their hunger was to try and peck each others heads off. Fortunately they healed and are fine now but I have to check them 3 times a day in case they knock the food over again. I know the culprits but Xmas is too far away to kill them yet! Enrichment helps. Windfall apples have been handy. Big bunches of greenery tied up so they have to work to get it. Anything to distract them. totally this...........i used to work part time on a turkey farm...tens of thousands of them ...and they were broard breasted bonzes....all white....but every now and then they used to show one bronze feather.....the others would peck a hole all the way thro.......... give them stuff to peck ....pull up some fat hen from the sugarbeet field.....etc........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 hour ago, ditchman said: totally this...........i used to work part time on a turkey farm...tens of thousands of them ...and they were broard breasted bonzes....all white....but every now and then they used to show one bronze feather.....the others would peck a hole all the way thro.......... give them stuff to peck ....pull up some fat hen from the sugarbeet field.....etc........ hello, i bet that was a Bootiful job Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said: hello, i bet that was a Bootiful job Simon it was Lawrence Mack.........not Bernard Mathews Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 hour ago, ditchman said: it was Lawrence Mack.........not Bernard Mathews hello, ok i was only being a bit *****, have you moved yet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said: hello, ok i was only being a bit *****, have you moved yet ? not until the spring/summer........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Id kill the culprit as they don't seem to stop once started. Chickens are odd things at the best of times. I have 5 remaining, still laying despite 2 being 5 years old. Quite looking forward to them going but haven't the heart to bump them off early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 2 hours ago, GingerCat said: Id kill the culprit as they don't seem to stop once started. Chickens are odd things at the best of times. I have 5 remaining, still laying despite 2 being 5 years old. Quite looking forward to them going but haven't the heart to bump them off early. curry is your answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 The wife's named them all and id be in the curry too if I bumped them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 Get yourself to a farm shop and ask for 'Purple spray'. Chickens are drawn to the colour red like flies to a cows bum and you need to conceal the blood. Purple spray does this and spray regulary. Also give them something to do as boredom usually starts it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 (edited) We used to smear Stockholm tar on chickens bums if they'd been pecked. Helped it heal up and put the culprit off doing it. Get it from farm supplies. You rarely get the problem if they free range. We only had it when we enclosed them during the bird flu outbreak. Toys and boredom breakers help stop them. Edited November 24, 2019 by loriusgarrulus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, loriusgarrulus said: We used to smear Stockholm tar on chickens bums if they'd been pecked. Helped it heal up and put the culprit off doing it. Get it from farm supplies. You rarely get the problem if they free range. We only had it when we enclosed them during the bird flu outbreak. Toys and boredom breakers help stop them. TOYS.............fer christ sake yvonne they are bloody chickens girl.... you could always get them a subscription to "chicken monthly" Edited November 25, 2019 by ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 7 hours ago, ditchman said: TOYS.............fer christ sake yvonne they are bloody chickens girl.... you could always get them a subscription to "chicken monthly" It doesn't have to be anything fancy or bought. A tray with some soil in for digging and dust bathing if they are in a pen on slabs. Some rope with cabbage leaves fasten to them. Lengths of wool dangling from a rope. If they are free ranging they amuse themselves spider hunting and plant foraging. If they are in a confined space they get bored and start pecking each other. Even throwing corn on the floor in addition to their layers pellets in the hopper keeps them busy for a while as long as you don't throw to much in which will attach rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.