Isolation hen, pining cockerel...

[Bertie & The Chooks]

Hi, we recently separated one of our hens that was being badly pecked by one of the hens in the hutch at night. We're pretty sure we know which hen it is, but we found when we took the offending hen out of the group that hen would pull all her feathers out and become very stressed.

We are now trying with the victim to see how she goes as she's a bit more timid. Her behaviour is fine, but our cockerel is really not happy about it! He's pining for her, crowing most of the day today(this is the first day) and standing and pacing at the fence line where he can see her. We don't want to close her off completely from them as we find reintroduction more difficult and traumatic. so we have put her in a rabbit hutch in view of the rest away from the fence. We're worried about our boy as he seems very upset, but don't really think it would be beneficial to the cockerel or the hen to put them together as the rabbit hutch isn't really meant for many birds and is only a quarantine.

Any suggestions or experiences? Shall I just chill out and provide lots of pecks and entertainment for the rooster to keep him busy? They are quite the pair when together, she is always at his side. But all of the feathers covering her comb crown on the top and back of her head are all gone and scabs are forming, she also has hardly any feathers on her belly and at the base of her tail just above the tail feathers. These all started to heal and grow back when we put Scarlett in the other pen earlier this summer(ha! if you can call it that!). I don't recall her having a proper moult either and her eggs are coming out stressed and misshapen. She lays these lovely cream white small thin eggs(similar to the Friesian's) usually but recently they have been odd shaped and unhealthy looking. She is otherwise healthy that we can see.

Thanks for reading.

 

[chrismahon]

Are you sure it isn't the cockerel treading her and pecking her head first thing in the morning? We have an enthusiastic cockerel and for the last year he sleeps alone for that reason and is kept away from the hens for 15 minutes after coming out -lot of extra work and another coop required.

We removed little Minnie when her feathers had got so thin we were worried her skin would be damaged. The cockerel paced up and down for days, even though she was 20 yards away he could see his favourite. She has a new coop now with other hens so she's not going back. All her feathers have regrown and she lays lovely eggs. The cockerel has forgotten her now -too busy with his 7 other hens.

No good keeping her on her own unless she is happy like that. Could try anti-pecking spray but absolutely must not get it in her eyes. Its bad news if she is so stressed as she will get ill eventually anyway. But I'm afraid I probably haven't been very helpful. You are doing the right thing separating her but I would establish exactly how she is getting injured. If she is being bullied by one hen its probably down to that hen or her going. But it could be that she is being pecked out of boredom or lack of space. Consider ahead. What happens if you get another hen in the future.

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

Are you sure it isn't the cockerel treading her and pecking her head first thing in the morning? We have an enthusiastic cockerel and for the last year he sleeps alone for that reason and is kept away from the hens for 15 minutes after coming out -lot of extra work and another coop required.

We removed little Minnie when her feathers had got so thin we were worried her skin would be damaged. The cockerel paced up and down for days, even though she was 20 yards away he could see his favourite. She has a new coop now with other hens so she's not going back. All her feathers have regrown and she lays lovely eggs. The cockerel has forgotten her now -too busy with his 7 other hens.

No good keeping her on her own unless she is happy like that. Could try anti-pecking spray but absolutely must not get it in her eyes. Its bad news if she is so stressed as she will get ill eventually anyway. But I'm afraid I probably haven't been very helpful. You are doing the right thing separating her but I would establish exactly how she is getting injured. If she is being bullied by one hen its probably down to that hen or her going. But it could be that she is being pecked out of boredom or lack of space. Consider ahead. What happens if you get another hen in the future.

We're almost positive it's Scarlett. the pecking started when Scarlett went broody and we got fed up with her being broody so long as she was a very violent broody hen!! NASTY PIECE OF WORK!! hence her name MISS SCARLETT O'HEN lol :lol: We put her in the broody coop, one in the enclosure with the others so she could touch them through the fence but not go in the same coop as them, she had her own run and coop(small arch basically in the enclosure run). She began to moult really bad and this was during the cold snap, we didn't want her to freeze so we put her back once she stopped sleeping in the coop all day. During this time Roadrunner's feathers grew back! As soon as we put her back, Roadrunner's feathers started to go again. I thought maybe i might be the cockerel, but he doesn't really mount her often, he only spends time with her, she's quite small and he tends to favour the other girls for mounting and her for just cuddling with or foraging. Sad yes i know, but i've watched them for a while to observe, i find it all fascinating.

 

[foxy]

If you are absolutely sure you know that Scarlett is the culprit, you could try a temporary plastic bit. These are very effective and a spell of around 2 weeks is usually long enough to break the habit.

http://www.homefarmfowls.co.uk/epages/BT2808.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT2808/Products/%22Beak%20Bits%22

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

If you are absolutely sure you know that Scarlett is the culprit, you could try a temporary plastic bit. These are very effective and a spell of around 2 weeks is usually long enough to break the habit.

http://www.homefarmfowls.co.uk/epages/BT2808.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT2808/Products/%22Beak%20Bits%22

cheers foxy! this was one of my next thoughts. the other option is to take then hen, once in better condition, over to my mother in laws to be a companion for her lone cockerel. but i'm highly apprehensive about doing this as she seems to have a knack at murdering her chickens somehow!!! all of the chickens we have given her or she has had in the past bar a cockerel and two feral hens have all died (7 in the last 3yrs)... i don't know what she does to them!!! :?

 

[Chuck]

One hen, one cock is not a good solution either as she will get no peace and be pulled about.

Your male will stop pining, if he is, in a few days.

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

One hen, one cock is not a good solution either as she will get no peace and be pulled about.

Your male will stop pining, if he is, in a few days.

don't worry Chuck, like I said, it's a last resort and I wouldn't send her over alone cheers for the confidence though! :lol: :roll:

he's definitely pining. it's quite cute actually. he stood at the fence for over an hour this afternoon after 'servicing' the others. he sat by the fence wagging his tail feathers gently and sitting quietly staring at her. she cooed at him and he cooed back. very sweet. never seen that before! I've seen him get frustrated and pace and get upset about what's over the fence but never pine and stare like that. the tail wiggle was new too, not heavy just a gentle slight wiggle. She's seemed happy enough tonight when i put her to bed, she layed for us as well!! very long slender egg though with a misshapen top.