Midder's Bok Boks

Start your own thread and let us follow you through the year
Post Reply
Midders
Lively Laner
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2013, 16:46
Gender: Female

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Midders »

Mrs Kevin Cakes was named by my 4 year old after a friend of mine called Kevin who always buys my children a cake when he sees him. They call him Kevin Cakes. Kevin was keen to have a chicken named after him but I think he pictured a handsome looking rooster being named after him so he surprised to seemed Cakes' photo!

Now my flock is down to 3 hens it is now poor Darth Binlorry's turn to be at the rough end of things. I think were she not slightly younger than the other two she may have been a good top hen. Things have changed since Batchick, who was bottom hen, and Kev Cakes, who was second in command , died. I have noticed the 2 older girls chasing Darth Binlorry away from the food. She hasn't been challenging them , she has actually become more submissive. They had pulled a few of her tail feathers which I thought was normal enough. But, today, I have come home to find Darth bin lorry with a nasty would on her back where they have obviously had a good peck. I have sprayed her in purple spray and they are leaving it alone.
Is it possible to have a flock that live in harmony despite the pecking order? I have only had my girls about a year but have had to rehome one due to bullying, Batchick was picked on and then they set upon her with her prolapse and now they have turned on Darth Binlorry. Must it always be that there is one girl having a rough time?

I am now keen to Increase the flock sooner than later so that Darth has some allies rather than being the one under chook. I'm only thinking 3 or 4 more as space is limited.
Has anyone else had this experience? Am I being too sensitive wanting them all to live each other unconditionally ?

User avatar
KarenE
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3460
Joined: 06 Apr 2013, 13:43
Gender: Female
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by KarenE »

Poor Darth Binlorry (brilliant name btw). Sadly they can be horrible things, and I guess for your dominant 2 a smaller flock isn't good. You could try taking one of the culprits out and isolating her, or standing by with a water pistol again. It seems like the changing flock dynamics has kicked off a pseudo reintroduction phase, which is very tough on Darth Binlorry. While your pecking order is in flux it might be the best time to introduce new chooks but really you never know with chickens. At least more will dissipate the bullying for Darth Binlorry.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Midders
Lively Laner
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2013, 16:46
Gender: Female

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Midders »

Thanks Karen, that is really useful advice. I was thinking along those lines so glad to hear you say the same thing. She just seems a prime target to be picked on now it's only her and the other older girls. I have been sin binning Sportacus and the water pistols are out! I have covered Darth Binlorry in anti peck spray but not sure it makes much difference? I really need to get more girls ASAP .
Midders
Lively Laner
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2013, 16:46
Gender: Female

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Midders »

Well things have been going swimmingly in Chicken City recently. I have 3 new girls- a blue maran called Spiderbok, a marigold called Mrs Kevin Cakes the 2nd and a speckledy called New new Batchick Batman Batchick ( all named by my kiddies of course).

After keeping them separate for a couple of weeks I have managed to combine them into one happy flock very successfully.
So all has been going well. But tonight I noticed that Kev Cakes 2nd had gone to bed early. I looked into her coop to check on her only to find her with a smalll prolapse. Gutted!!! I cannot believe how unlucky I am with these prolapsing girls. All 3 of my new girls have started laying small eggs so she has been laying fine up to now. I have treated the prolapse as you should but I cannot believe that I have now had 3 prolapse issues in the last 2 or 3 months. I mean, I only have a tiny flock, what are the odds of having 3 prolapses!!!!! I now I am doing everything I should, good quality layers pellets, calcium, oyster shell.

Fingers crossed her bottom is back to normal by the morning. They are going into chicken boarding for a week on Tuesday and I hate to hand her over knowing there is a problem, poor little girlie.
Midders
Lively Laner
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2013, 16:46
Gender: Female

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Midders »

Mrs Kev cakes 2 nd recovered from the prolapse, thank goodness. The girls had a successful week at the boarding house. Darth Binlorry has returned a little more pecked and bare backed, bless her. They have all stopped laying which I guess is due to the upheaval of going on their hols. Spiderbok, my new blue maran was fine this morning then took herself into the coop this avo. I went to check in her and saw she was just laying in the nesting box with her eyes closed. I put her in second coop by herself but when husband checked on her a little later she was dead, bless her soul . She has a small amount of yellow poop in her vent feathers. So sad, she was only about 10 months old. It happened so quickly. I guess EYP? I hope it isn't anything from the boarding place that my other girls can catch. They all seem fine but do did she this morning. So that's 3 girls I have lost in less than a year, hubby reckons I am jinxed!
User avatar
KarenE
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3460
Joined: 06 Apr 2013, 13:43
Gender: Female
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by KarenE »

Midders, I'm so sorry to hear you're still having a run of bad luck with your girls. {hug}

At least Mrs Kev Cakes the third (??) has recovered from her prolapse. So sorry about Spiderbok. It does sound like an infection of some sort if her poos were yellow like that - EYP is a possibility but they usually show symptoms for a few days before. At least she didn't suffer for long. I think with chickens it seems like you an go for ages with no problems at all and then loads come along all at once.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Midders
Lively Laner
Posts: 86
Joined: 30 Aug 2013, 16:46
Gender: Female

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Midders »

Ooh, I haven't posted on here for ages. Been busy having more children! I don't plan on having any more kids but do intend to keep adding to my hens! I had had a bit of a bad run with my hens when I was originally posting my diary , different illnesses, prolapse problems and EYP, I was beginning to think maybe I wasn't meant to be keeping chickens... but things have been going smoothly of late. My current flock are rescue girls. I wasn't brave enough to get rescue hens when I first started out as I had heard they can come with their own issues, but I have had rescue hens for about 2 years now and they have been by far the healthiest birds I have had. I rescued 6 initially from Fresh Start for Hens, 4 of which survived. And then last autumn I rescued 4 more . It was very easy to introduce the new girls to my existing flock and now they live very happily together in feathery harmony! They all have interesting names (thanks to my children) : we have Elsa and Anna, who after a summer of terrible vent gleet that would just not clear up, now have the most beautiful fluffy bottoms, Sportacus, Darth Sidious, Indian Jones, Jeremy Corn-byn and Guy from Drama. Darth Sidious lays the most beautiful blue egg. Sportacus likes to eat the beautiful blue eggs and nearly had my finger off trying to grab it from me this morning.

I am having a mud issue. My next door neighbour has recently slabbed his entire back garden and the rain water is pouring into my chicken run and creating a swamp. I've put bags and bags of bark down but its mushy and muddy and I fear I must revert to the plastic underlay that I had a few years ago. My chickens preferred being able to get to the plentiful worms but the mud is such an issue and I don't want them to get sore feet or get ill as I hear they can do if the ground is too muddy. Also it is too muddy for my kids to be able to walk in so they are missing out on chicken time too. Another neighbour gave me their living christmas tree which I have planted in the run in the hope that it will suck up some of the excess water. Lucky chickens with their own tree- I may even pit lights in it for them net year. I have tried lots of other plants and herbs but the hens have eaten them all!

Also having nightly visits from Mr Rat who has nibbled a hole in the bottom of my wooden coop. I am currently researching plastic coops and like the look of Green Frog. My second coop is a plastic one by Solway and has no sign of mr rat.

So that's me up to date. I'm going to catch up on everone else's chicken diarys now :)
User avatar
Richard
Lord Lane of Down...... Site Owner
Posts: 30037
Joined: 26 Apr 2007, 22:48
Gender: Male
Location: Ashford, Kent, UK

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by Richard »

Great to see you again Midders.

Mud? The best part of keeping chickens in winter :-D

)t' )t' )t' )t'

Richard
New Member? Get more from the Forum and join in 'Members Chat' - you're very welcome
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , I feel I have missed out as you write well ,
Thank you
Bob
User avatar
KarenE
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3460
Joined: 06 Apr 2013, 13:43
Gender: Female
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by KarenE »

Welcome back Midder! It's good to hear how the bok-boks are doing. Glad to see you've got your priorities in the right order - less kids, more chooks!

I see your creative chicken naming continues. I always enjoyed your kids' chicken naming!

I'm not sure there's a lot you can do about the mud if it's coming in at ground level, apart from the plastic covering like you said, and the christmas tree (posh birds, they'll want one now!). Bit inconsiderate of your neighbour though! You could also build some raised platforms or make sure there are plenty of things like tree trunks, pallets and plant pots for them to raise themselves off the mud. Sandy has a similar problem with her run due to a high water table I think, she adds sand I think. Could you dig some drainage ditches? I suppose it will have a knock on effect on your garden too, if you are getting your neighbour's run off.

I'm so pleased you've gotten the ex-batt bug!
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
User avatar
KarenE
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3460
Joined: 06 Apr 2013, 13:43
Gender: Female
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by KarenE »

How are the bok boks Midder?
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
User avatar
sandy
Legendary Laner
Posts: 9915
Joined: 13 Oct 2008, 21:59
Gender: Female
Location: Bristol

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by sandy »

Midder about time we had an update? :-D
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
User avatar
sandy
Legendary Laner
Posts: 9915
Joined: 13 Oct 2008, 21:59
Gender: Female
Location: Bristol

Re: Midder's Bok Boks

Post by sandy »

sandy wrote:Midder about time we had an update? :-D
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/

Post Reply