Uh-oh, bought another two...

Blak1 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:23 pm

Thanks Chickadee :oops:

Bad Mum moment huh? Thank you for taking the time to explain why it's happening and how to prevent it!

The campine is the smallest (evil devil) bird and both she and the ancona are 6 months old. The leghorns are both pullets and slightly older at 8 months for pale legs and 7 for yellow legs. Poor pale legs was laying... poor thing , I feel sorry for her.

The ancona is at the bottom of the flock... she was up the tree whenever I wasn't in the pen; pale legs is next - she hides behind my legs when evil wench is stalking her, then yellow legs, then boss devil chook campine :-?

I really need that second coop!!

Thanks again,

Jo

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Blak1 wrote:

The campine is the smallest (evil devil) bird and both she and the ancona are 6 months old. The leghorns are both pullets and slightly older at 8 months for pale legs and 7 for yellow legs. Poor pale legs was laying... poor thing , I feel sorry for her.

Welcome Jo.

You will find that as they all get older, the pecking order will change. Especially once they are laying. So do not dispair as they will sort themselves out, eventually. Until then there will be a bit of unrest.

With my girls my last to lay who was on the bottom of the pecking order has now worked her way to the top and has even beaten the odds and gone up against my large Plymouth Rock to be on top!

A 2nd coop does help though :-D

Cheers
Chicka-Dee

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Betadine is also good for wounds.

Maybe you can pick up a cheap second hand coop on ebay or Gumtree or Trading Post? They really come in handy, especially if they are broody or ill.

Blak1 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:05 am

There were two sad shell-less eggs on the floor of the house when I let the girls out this morning

Poor pale legs, who is now named Ripley because of her comb (and I like Aliens and was yelling get away from her you bitch at the campine) was last out of the house, but it doesn't appear she's been injured any more overnight.

The campine was straight up on top of the house, cackling away like the wicked witch she is... Letting everyone know she's the queen of the castle

Fingers crossed for no more bloodshed!

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:15 am

The girls are probably stressed hence the eggless shells, perhaps adding some avian vitamins in their water to settle them in? Do they have access to separate shell grit?

I once had a psychotic hen who cackled at full moons...It was really eerie....
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16710

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Hens and Hobbits wrote:

The girls are probably stressed

Yeah very true,

Especially when you think about the upheaval they've had. :shock:

Removed from the home they use to reside, where they were happily laying eggs, shoved in a box & taken to a show with heaps of strangers looking at them, being pulled out of that box to be looked at by a judge, then shoved back in the box. Then taken to a strange home and put in with an evil witch disguised in a demure looking Campine's clothing (feathers), only to find out theyve been housed with evil incarnate with a cackle that sends shivers down your spine after she has announced to the world she has just laid an egg that could house the next generation of devil spawn. Luckily there isn't a Campine rooster as well.

I'd forget to put the shell on my egg when laying it too! :lol:

But, don't feel bad! They'll get through it, with a lot of love & affection from you. This is your opportunity to show them you're their saviour who can give them lots of cuddles and save them fom being chased by the evil queen. :-D

Cheers
Chicka-Dee

Blak1 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:25 pm

I was worried I'd come home to a mess, but they're all OK, no more injuries. Phew!

Yep, they've got access to shell grit, they got stuck into it yesterday, so hopefully soon I'll get a real egg... I checked about 10 minutes ago and nothing yet, so I'm hoping they're just early morning layers at this stage :-?

My stockfeed man is delivering a bag of red hen 'layer' feed in the next day or so, so hopefully things will settle down *crosses fingers*. I can spend some time with them tomorrow after work, luckily the pen is big enough for them all to have space to scratch in and run away from the wicked witch!

Thanks for all your help and support! xx

johs · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 11:45 pm

Blak1 wrote:

Poor pale legs, who is now named Ripley because of her comb (and I like Aliens and was yelling get away from her you bitch at the campine)

My girls all still squabble, some quite viciously. They learn pretty quickly to stay away from the bossy britches.

b-m · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:00 pm

Now I am even more convinced to get all my chooks at once

Thanks for the idea of a chook medicine box.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Adequate space and territory is the key to successful integration, the less space a chook has the more in fighting and bullying

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