Hi everyone, new to the forum and have a problem:
Our smallest hen who is an ex battery, is being picked on by the whole flock (8 in total including the cockerel. They don't actively go after her but if she gets too close they chase her away. I used to think she was a bit special as I opten found her hiding in the long grass, or in the hedge but now I know it's because she is avoiding the others and I've seen it happening. To complicate matters she is Colin's favourite and he has unofrtunately injured her with his spurs. I only discovered this when I was examing her bald wings and putting sunblock on them. It has, thankfully healed very well and I have only had to apply minimal care with a bit of watered down TCP and some Vaseline.
She is one of 3 rescues and has never had much in the way of feathers but she really is looking pitiful. She has never roosted in the tree with the others but prefers the old hen house where the 2 Light Sussex go at night too. They don't like the tree although they can get up there - it happened once when the gate to the other enclosure had been shut by accident. They used to be really nice to her, she used to perch in between them and they were like her personal fluffy duvets!
My hens have a huge area of the garden for themselves, with a tree as mentioned, a log pile,lots of scratching and bathing areas and shelter from rain. In addition to this, first thing in the morning we let them out on the lawn for about 45 minutes and last thing in the evening. Their diet is second to none and we regularly give them tinned fish mixed in with their mash. They have mixed seed and corn with aniseed for, grit and dried crushed egg shells, layers pellets and the powdered spice and sometimes apple cider vinegar in their water. They lay lovely eggs and I think someone occasionally lays 2 eggs in a day. The little one (Miss Ploppy) who is being picked on also lays most days.
So, the 2 Essex Girls (Light Sussex) Sharon and Tracey have now gone broody and are hogging the nesting box in the henhouse where they and Miss P usually sleep. I turf them out twice a day because we are absolutely not having any more chicks (that's another story, 2 stories, in fact). They are in a huge caged area around the henouse and because they are busy on the nest they are leaving Miss P alone, but I have to keep it locked and have had to provide yet another nest box outside of the henouse and cage for the rest of them.
Life is so complicated now! I have to chaperone Miss P during their lawn time to stop Colin shagging her to within an inch of her life, then I have to drag the Essex Girls off the nest squawking their heads off to make sure they eat and I have had to rig up another nesting box for Miss P within the cage and henhouse because the Essex Girls are in the original one.
So I googled but our complicated situation isn't covered by any of the results! I've painted a very sad picture of Miss P, but she's quite plump, lays a decent egg and is actually quite feisty; she absolutely hates the dog and it's funny to watch this tiny little creature literally fly at his face in pure rage if he gets too close to her! He runs off with his tail between his legs which, is quite amusing considering in the early days of having chickens here he dispatched 2. Every time he even looked at one we would put him inside and eventually he just started to ignore them, although sometimes he looks trance like at the black one and we have to throw a ball to distract him... I digress
What now? I have read some articles about the dangers of taking the bullied one away from the rest of the flock but I have to keep her away from Colin even though during lawn time she is happy to flirt with him and I have to literally stand in front of him to keep him off her. Also not quite sure what to do about the Essex Girls when they snap out of their broody trance and start being mean to her in the cage again.
Any advice gratefully received!
Our smallest hen who is an ex battery, is being picked on by the whole flock (8 in total including the cockerel. They don't actively go after her but if she gets too close they chase her away. I used to think she was a bit special as I opten found her hiding in the long grass, or in the hedge but now I know it's because she is avoiding the others and I've seen it happening. To complicate matters she is Colin's favourite and he has unofrtunately injured her with his spurs. I only discovered this when I was examing her bald wings and putting sunblock on them. It has, thankfully healed very well and I have only had to apply minimal care with a bit of watered down TCP and some Vaseline.
She is one of 3 rescues and has never had much in the way of feathers but she really is looking pitiful. She has never roosted in the tree with the others but prefers the old hen house where the 2 Light Sussex go at night too. They don't like the tree although they can get up there - it happened once when the gate to the other enclosure had been shut by accident. They used to be really nice to her, she used to perch in between them and they were like her personal fluffy duvets!
My hens have a huge area of the garden for themselves, with a tree as mentioned, a log pile,lots of scratching and bathing areas and shelter from rain. In addition to this, first thing in the morning we let them out on the lawn for about 45 minutes and last thing in the evening. Their diet is second to none and we regularly give them tinned fish mixed in with their mash. They have mixed seed and corn with aniseed for, grit and dried crushed egg shells, layers pellets and the powdered spice and sometimes apple cider vinegar in their water. They lay lovely eggs and I think someone occasionally lays 2 eggs in a day. The little one (Miss Ploppy) who is being picked on also lays most days.
So, the 2 Essex Girls (Light Sussex) Sharon and Tracey have now gone broody and are hogging the nesting box in the henhouse where they and Miss P usually sleep. I turf them out twice a day because we are absolutely not having any more chicks (that's another story, 2 stories, in fact). They are in a huge caged area around the henouse and because they are busy on the nest they are leaving Miss P alone, but I have to keep it locked and have had to provide yet another nest box outside of the henouse and cage for the rest of them.
Life is so complicated now! I have to chaperone Miss P during their lawn time to stop Colin shagging her to within an inch of her life, then I have to drag the Essex Girls off the nest squawking their heads off to make sure they eat and I have had to rig up another nesting box for Miss P within the cage and henhouse because the Essex Girls are in the original one.
So I googled but our complicated situation isn't covered by any of the results! I've painted a very sad picture of Miss P, but she's quite plump, lays a decent egg and is actually quite feisty; she absolutely hates the dog and it's funny to watch this tiny little creature literally fly at his face in pure rage if he gets too close to her! He runs off with his tail between his legs which, is quite amusing considering in the early days of having chickens here he dispatched 2. Every time he even looked at one we would put him inside and eventually he just started to ignore them, although sometimes he looks trance like at the black one and we have to throw a ball to distract him... I digress
What now? I have read some articles about the dangers of taking the bullied one away from the rest of the flock but I have to keep her away from Colin even though during lawn time she is happy to flirt with him and I have to literally stand in front of him to keep him off her. Also not quite sure what to do about the Essex Girls when they snap out of their broody trance and start being mean to her in the cage again.
Any advice gratefully received!
! You could get a saddle for Ms. P (that will keep Colin from hurting her back with his spurs) and pinless peepers for the rest of the flock (it obstructs their line of sight so they can’t see their victim as easily). Hope this helps! And someone with more experience will surely be along to offer better advice 
.
