Thanks Koru and all. It was just a hunch and I thought I'd mention the rhubarb. Goodness knows what the poor girl had been into - she was at the bottom of the pecking order so she spent a bit of time rummaging on her own.No one else from the coop family seems any the worse for wear, I'm hoping it stays that way!
splattercat,
Feb 23, 4:35pm
my 3 chickens are beating the bejezus out of my new chicken.any thoughts on what i can do please
maryteatowel1,
Feb 23, 6:14pm
I've just had to put my 3 new chooks in the rabbit hutch, in the chook run, because of this.new chooks are a bit timid and I don't want them free ranging yet and the other ones are picking on them.I kick all the old ones out in the arvo and open up the hutch so the new ones get to know the run and house.later on, after I have feed them, I let the old ones back in and leave the rabbit hutch open so the new ones can go back if it gets too much for them.they are all about 4-12 months old and the new ones are not the youngest.hope they come right soon
koru_designs,
Feb 24, 12:39am
Re #157 Are you introducing one bird or two (or more)! One bird on it's own will have a much harder time of it.at least if you introduce a couple of chooks at once, they sort of have each other to back themselves up when the other birds have a go at them. There's lots of info on the web about introducing new chooks - just google (eg http://www.poultryhelp.com/introbird.html is a good page). If the old birds are having a go at the new ones, try keeping them separate from the main flock but viewble.eg separated via chicken wire or in another coop with a run so the main flock can get used to the new birds without savaging them. But put them in the main coop at night once the others have gone in to roost - they're less likely to attack at night & will have a chance to get used to them.
koru_designs,
Feb 24, 12:39am
Cont. There will be a bit of pecking, etc, while they all sort out the new pecking order but it does settle down eventually. Just keep an eye out for excessive pecking or vent pulling,as they can do a lot of damage if one bird is being bullied.
splattercat,
Feb 24, 2:06am
thanks for the help .
mselaineous,
Feb 24, 3:44am
I've had chooks for 20 years You all make a fuss about it. The main thing is clean water always and room to go scratching and dirt to bathe in. My chooks have a large house to roost in but prefer to get up in a large tree at night! I know when it's going to be extreme weather when they decide to go in their house for the night. They are healthy and the last to die was at least 9 yrs. old. I feed them all our scraps and give them pellets and wheat at afternoon. I do not clip their wings as they need to be able to fly if pursued by a dog or whatever worries them. They do like to hide their eggs and I keep many places for them tp lay in.
pandaeye,
Feb 24, 3:51am
157. take out the most dominant one, leave the new one in a cage side by side with the rest, introduce the next day, 2 days later put the dominant one back in.
jules.,
Feb 25, 10:39pm
got some of that chook chow today, i had to go to warkworth to collect some other stuff so went to the farm supply centre, the lady was really friendly and helpfull. i got a 25kg bag and gave them some when i got home, they love it. its nice and 'fresh' not like the boring dry pellets etc. as i write this, the kids have 'eggs in a cup' (boiled eggs) for dinner, from the chooks, yum!
koru_designs,
Mar 2, 9:13pm
Bumping for falconhell.
Tinart.sometimes it just happens. One of my girls laid a miniscule egg once. It was the size of a marble but had a yolk & everything. My son ate it - it was fine. Just small. Odd eggs are more common in chooks who are just starting to lay but older birds also sometimes produce them - diet can be a big factor. They can also pass pieces of tissue, etc, as well sometimes & maybe that was what happened in this case! Just keep an eye on her health but if she isn't showing any other unusual symptoms & it's not a regular thing, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
jellabie,
Mar 2, 9:34pm
I have a chook who lays soft shelled eggs almost every time despite my sneaking oyster grit into her mash. her yolks are also quite pale compared too her 3 companions who lay bright orange yolks most of the time.Sometimes the egg will have a partly soft and partly hard shell. on the odd occasion where she lays a firm shell its usually quite rough to the touch
jules.,
Mar 4, 12:04am
me again. .bump.- .
maryteatowel1,
Mar 4, 4:06am
I'm doing a half and half mix with the chook chow and pellets at the moment only because I have a lot of pellets left and dont know how 'good' the chook chow is.but yes they love it.they lady in the farm center is really nice.but dont believe everything she says.
jules.,
Mar 9, 1:13am
time to bump. .
jules.,
Mar 11, 3:19am
oh, have run out of room, so the newest momma hen has to go, the chicks are nearly 4 weeks old now, so they will be fine without her now. i was going to put her in with the others, but its not worth the hassle of upsetting them all. our shaver hen, izzy, has decided that laying her eggs at the neighbours is a better idea than in the nesting boxes at our house. she has made herself a fine nest in a quiet spot in long grass over there. when i got home from work today, she was happily scratching around over there, lucky no one minds :)
maryteatowel1,
Mar 11, 5:01pm
I know what you mean about the hassle introducing new chooks.we got some new hampshire reds about 3 weeks ago.they were about 16 weeks old, 3 pullets one roo, and quite timid to start with.they have been in the rabbit hutch inside the coop. They have an open end on it so they come and go and free range during the day but some of the others wont let them in the house to roost at night so they end up back in the hutch.I also have to feed them off to the side.hopefully in another couple of weeks they will be fine
jules.,
Mar 12, 2:20am
our lilly-anne is on her way to her new home in the morning. i didnt expect her to go so quickly. i listed her for sale last night and within 1/2 hr, she was gone. shes going to a lovely family with a 10 acre block with a rooster and soon to have other additions too. the kids wernt very impressed though! they were crying when i got her out tonight and put her in the box ready for the new owners in the morning.
purplegoanna,
Mar 12, 3:33pm
and ive got my 1st lot of chicks out of the incubator, gold & silver laced wyandottes and a barred rock, monday ive got rhode islands & orpingtons due to hatch.the chicks are in my brooder with my quail chicks, i shallget a pic when hubby locates the camera!
jules.,
Mar 13, 4:10am
looks like a really good sized run! im sure they will have it cleared in no time. how many chicks have you hatched so far!
ricp,
Mar 13, 8:40pm
170. Mary where did you get the NH Reds from and do you know if tehy have any more! We are after some Nh or RIR pullets to keep our Beauty big Red Roo company.
purplegoanna,
Mar 13, 10:44pm
ive got 5 gold laced wyandottes and 1 barred rock @ 3days old, 1 barred rock halfway thru hatching now and about 24 orpington, RI reds & light sussex mixed eggs due to hatch over the next week, its so much fun, theyre gorgeous.
jules.,
Mar 14, 4:35am
i have been away on school camp for the week with my son, when we came back we found 3 chooks had gone clucky and 1 going thru the mault, what a laugh. hubby was left in charge, he said everyday when he would call them for dinner the rest would all come running from the neighbours house, some authority he has, ahahhahaaaaaaa
soc_butterfly,
Mar 14, 4:38am
asking for a friend that's interested in raising chooks, she has a big space down a bank at the back of her property.she's worried about rats getting into a coop tho.I'm assuming others have a good fix for that!
jules.,
Mar 14, 3:49pm
i posted a thread in pets and animals, but hoping for some info here too please. one of my 12 week old chicks is having trouble standing on her legs, i noticed it a couple of days ago, but i feel shes got worse, its like she almost has no control over them. shes eating, drinking and pooing fine, and she seems in good heath otherwise. can anyone give me advice please or a reason this would be happening! ive wormed them and given them coxydia meds just in case. ive checked her over for cuts, lumps etc, but nothing! any ideas would be great.
bullnzl,
Mar 14, 4:57pm
a quick question for someone please we have some chicks - hatched 25th October, so they are coming up to 5 months. Some say that they should be laying - others say soon. When is the norm! And they are frizzles too (grr) does this make any difference!
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