Dog house time out area for chickens

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sat Sep 28, 2013 4:09 pm

My grace is now in the storage side of the hen house because shes feather plucking aging

She started this a few weeks ago she stopped when I fed them tuna bot now shes started aging.

The time I caught her out it was Ruby's vent or feathers near that area

its more notiable with my new rooster and did catch her in the act doing this with him and Harriet near her vent.

what do I do
is there special food
no one else seems to do this.

I do know she loves preening others.
But she also hurts other when doing the feather plucking.

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

Poor Grace, stuck in the dog house.

Would she understand why she's been segregated from her group? Is this really the answer? Could you be possibly alienating her more from the group & fuelling the behaviour even more, by doing this?

Is it really really bad???

Is she hurting the others?

Maybe she's helping your rooster get better "access" :lol:

Chooks can develop really bad habits & sometimes it is trial & error of what's the best solution to try & reduce/stop the behaviour, but don't segregate her too long, otherwise she may get picked on when you put her back. And that coud cause more problems.

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

Is this feather preening and vent plucking a form of chookie bullying and or boredom and or a protein deficiency? Or even chookie lice? Or mites...

Where is Grace in the pecking order? Feathers can be a source of protein. A .69c can of Coles sardines can help with protein deficiencies.

It is Spring and time for Spring cleaning for all...

Nothing personal just a reminder to all chook owners to worm, dust and Spring clean their coops...

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:30 pm

Returning her to the flock tonight

And will get the sardines out it is spring time

She was hurting Ruby a while back and, the Rooster did tell her off for it too

Mabe I did have a panic attack since I don't want any one hurt and I was very upset.
Grace before the Rooster arrived was Top hen for a bit after Toppling Harriet

The girls have been wormed
But haven't dusted for mites or lice
their feed has 15% protein the girls have been having Golden yolk for a few weeks
the one before that had 17 or 18 % protein
what & should I go for

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:46 pm

Grace is now sleeping with every one else I do have some sardines and maybe some tuna

Rooster is on his rooster perch he didn't use it last night but he is tonight

PP Chickadee you have given me some comfort thank you as still a newbie chicken owner I still can make mistakes with out knowing. its good to have this place and great people here.

Just thinking about the Tuna it was more for Harriet last time she didn't seem to be holding enough food in her crop at the time, Grace was also doing the behaviour that I found distressing, Harriet has now recovered why I don't know.

So what other things can I do to help apart from the spring clean and fish.

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

I think that's a wise move barnsey [smilie=a_goodjobson.gif]

I don't think Grace would understand why she's in the dog house. Remember chooks are social creatures and create a hierarchy amongst themselves. If Grace was Queen before your rooster came long, she is still Queen but she just doesn't have the same level of power as before the man of house came long :-D

Sometimes you need to watch them for a little while to see if there are any triggers to the behaviour instead of just making them stop it without understanding why they're dong it in the first place.

There is a reason, you just need to watch her when she does it & see if you can see a trigger.

Have you deloused them lately? Put sone Pestene on them. The feathers will be covered with it & she won't want to eat them with it on. Like PP said, it coud be lice that she's picking at :-?

Keep us updated so we can try & give you some input to what your seeing. :-D

watson96 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:10 am

You should dust all the fowls and coop for mites ASAP this is the time of year for them

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:34 pm

Today I spring cleaned the hen house from top to the floor

All walls and concrete floor have been scrubbed as well as the feeder and water.
The nesting boxes got the same treatment.

The perches (tree branches) spent most of the day on the ground in the sun ( would this get rid of mites and bugs).

The poultry dust I will be getting asap

Gave every one tuna this morning and grace has behaved herself, when I gave it to them I stood near the feeder because I knew Grace would fly up and perch on top she does this a lot and likes to eat out of a ice cream container there. I made sure she had a good go at the tuna .

Should I worm every one aging since the last time I wormed the girls was a week ago before the rooster arrived.

watson96 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:45 am

The perches you will need to dust as the sun will not kill the mites they hide in all the cracks and with tree braches there are plenty

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:05 pm

Thank you Watson

How do I go about using the poultry dust as I have never used it before. As well as the Pestene

love the idear of using a milk bottle with a hole in it for the Pestene.

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