Ex Batts Messy Bums! & integration problems

[debwatton]

Hello Everyone

I am looking for your invaluable advice once again!

I added to my ever growing flock a couple of months ago, with some ex batts. When they arrived they were all pretty messy looking and all had messy matted bum feathers. I thought this would rectify itself over time, but although they are all pooping normally now, they still have these horrible matted looking bums. Their feathers in general are coming back day by day, and I hoped their bums would sort themselves out, but they still look pretty awful. So my question is..... what can I do to help this problem (wash them? and f so how?) and secondly should I do anything? Perhaps new feathers when they moult will sort it? Any advice gratefully received - they are so much happier now in their new home and I'd love to make them look pretty tidy birds!

My second question is about integrating them with my existing flock. They have been with me now about 10 weeks, and I have unsuccessfully tried to integrate them with the rest of my flock. I have done everything I've been advised to do, ie keep them separate to the others but in view of them for a few weeks, then put them together and keep a vigilant eye.

But whilst the scuffles and fighting have finished I've ended up with bullies! My 3 existing girls are pecking my ex batts pin feathers and making them bleed badly. Poor little Ginger is so scared that she went into hiding behind a palette and laid her egg their and wouldn't come out. All 3 ex batts are being picked on and I just can't seem to stop it. Any help much appreciated as I really want them all to be together. Incidentally I have also introduced a Cochin who loves the ex batts and is not picked on at all. I've checked and treated them for lice etc so don't think that's why they're being pecked.

Help! I want a happy hen pen!!!

[tosca100]

I have just got three ex-batts too so have all the fun to come. So far our senior cockerel is quite taken with them and is trying to make up to them through the fence, they are eyeing him with suspicion! The other hens are interested but only mildly. But a five month old cockerel managed to get to them yesterday and gave them a proper bashing, poor things. Whether that is because he is the under male in his group I have no idea, but he is going on Sunday and the other youngster is going today. So we will try to mix the new hens, the hen chicks (five and six month old) and the old hens and cockerel. We are hoping Sevi will keep order while they get used to each other then split them in to two groups, layers and breeders. We have successfully integrated the two batches of chicks with patience and letting them sort things out themselves so all the others know each other. We only split them when relations between Sevi and sons became a problem.

Do I take it you don't have a cockerel? It might make a difference, our's keeps the bossy hens in order.

[jackian]

Hi there , you are really in the wrong section .Maybe go to the general chicken help and you will get more replies.

Messy bums.. Fill a bowl with warm not hot water and bring them in and put them in .You can use a mild shampoo if you wish .They love the water and will usually be relaxed.
You can then use a hair drier on a mild setting .They love this too.
I don't know much about bleeding but I know that some people put flour on to stem the flow and seal it .There I purple spray you can get that acts as an antiseptic and stop the others from pecking . I have never used it but |I think there are mixed feelings about if it works or not .
As for bullies I would if you can separate the main bully to bring her down a peck or two rather than separate the pecked ones. . This worked with one of mine .
I have just mixed two new girls with my oldies and it took me four weeks. The key is patience and keeping them separate for a few weeks and gently put them together a little at a time. You say that the ex batts are happy with one of your others .Why not keep them together for a while if you have the space.
You probably know most of this but hope it helps .

Jackie x

[Mo]

I don't have a cockerel but have read on here that it is not a good idea to let exbats mix with them as they are not strong enough to bear his weight.

I suspect the matted feathers will fall out when they moult and I wouldn't stress them by catching them to wash them.

How much space have you got. The more space the less bullying. But if they are bleeding they might be better separated.

[debwatton]

Hi All

Thanks for your comments. I'm still very undecided on what to do. I didn't really want a cockerel as to be honest I'm scared of them! I'm sure I'll get a ferocious one! I have a lot of space here but they're in a very large pen as we have a severe fox problem. The pens 20ft by 20ft plus they have 2 runs from the houses down to the pen which are 3ft by 12ft.

When you integrate little and often how did you go about this exactly? Sorry if that's a basic question but any knowledge is helpful on this issue.

Thanks!

[Mo]

Am I right in thinking that they are in 2 different coops and can stay in their own run or be let into a bigger run. That sounds an ideal set-up for integration. I would open the gate into the bigger run at first about half an hour before they would go to roost. If they venture out, let them, they will soon be thinking about bedtime anyway. If that goes well give longer next time.

Make sure that there is more than 1 feeder and drinker, so that the boss hens don't keep the lower rankers away from it.
Some recommend watching them with a water pistol in hand, and any pecking earns a squirt (they won't know it's you, but it will put them off doing it).

[Mad Chick]

I have done exactly what Mo has suggested, just a short while before bed. I've had lots of treats on hand to distract them

[debwatton]

Thank you Mo and Mad Chick...... that's a great idea. I'll try that.

Yes, the set up is 2 separate houses and runs, and then one big pen which I can block them off from. I'll be off to get a water pistol too. Hopefully it'll all work out and they can settle down together. I seem to have been trying to get them integrated for ever! Fingers crossed this new approach works.

If it does, then what do I do?..... just let them have a little longer together each day?

Thanks for your help. Deb

[jackian]

I have just added two young girls to my other two and the run was separated by a door.As said before I opened it a little at a time to let them mix .If there was any argy bargy I just separated them again . The door is now open all the time .
it took me 4 weeks to get them to mix all the time but that was fairly quick and I was probably lucky. patience is the key, if it takes 3 months it take 3 months ..As some one said before how would you like to find some one new in your bed?
I had them in a separate coup which I brought for £30 on the internet and it is a small plastic dog kennel. It was perfect . After 3 weeks I took the dog kennel out cleaned it and now it is flat packed in my garage ready for when needed (maybe a sick chicken)
They had to be picked up and put in the big coup with the big girls the first night after taking the little one down but after that they knew where to go .

[KarenE]

Hi

Don't get a cockerel just for this - the poor ex batts may not be strong enough to take the weight of him, although apparently they are good for flock harmony. Only get a cockerel if you want to have a cockerel in your flock for his own worth.

Integration - the advice here is good, try and get them all together for a while before bed. Be careful with treats - I found treats became a battle ground when I was integrating mine so I would probably wait until they're a bit more used to each other (or have loads of treats on hand). It's good if you can get them sleeping together too, although be up at the crack of dawn to separate them until you can trust them to behave.

They will fight, they will need to establish a new pecking order and you will probably find the lower ranking hens will be the worst - I used a garden plant sprayer to give mine a squirt and it helped.

As Mo said, make sure there are pellets and water all round the run so that the newer girls can get access without being chased off - the more the better. And mingle them a little bit longer each time so that they start establishing their order and start getting used to each other more.

About the messy bums - have they been wormed? It could be a sigh of a changed diet, too much greens etc or stress, but could also be worms so be worth dosing them up with some flubenvet. One of my ex batts was riddled with worms when she arrived, so don't assume that they are clean just because they've been in the cages.

Good luck, just be vigilant with the squirter, make sure there are loads of feeding stations and space where bullied girls can get out of the way, and be prepared for some nastiness - you need to make the decision when it's getting too nasty, but remember some is inevitable. It's what they do.

[Mo]

An empty Fairy Liquid container makes a cheap water-pistol too.

[debwatton]

Hello Again, thanks for all the advice.

I've just had my first session with them together and all was pretty calm. There was one bully who seems to chase them round, but after a few squirts of the water pistol she seemed to give up and just concentrated on scratching about before bed. All seemed to go off quite well. There's plenty of space for them and plenty of water and feed stations, plus hiding areas so hopefully with a bit of perseverance they'll get used to each other.

One of my existing flock decided to nestle down with the newbies in their house but I know she can be a bit of a monkey in the morning, so I took her out and put her back in with her own flock. Hopefully that was the right thing to do.

I do hope this will crack it !!!

Thanks all

[KarenE]

Hi Deb

Sounds encouraging, the water squirter is a great thing to have to hand. I think I would be tempted if your old girl still wants to sleep with the newbies tomorrow to maybe let her, and see what happens (as i said, it wil probably mean an early morning for you though!) It could be a sign that she is accepting the newbies and the more of that the merrier.

Mine all slept together from day 1 (I only have 1 coop) and they were as good as gold once they'd all gone to bed, terrible in the mornings for about 2 weeks (so I was up at the crack of dawn to seperate them) but eventually they sorted themselves out and they're thick as thieves now

Keep an eye on the one bully - I'm sure the squirter will sort her out. Apparently picking her up and carrying her around may also help, and if things don't improve then it may be worth seperating her off for a while to see if that calms her down or knocks her off her pecking order place.

It sounds like it's going in the right direction though.

[Skeksis]

All sounds hopeful, but remember when the weather gets warmer you must keep your bums clean as fly strike can and WILL kill a hen with a dirty bottom in a matter of hours. Dont want to be alarmist but you should be aware x good luck