Topic: The problem with Dennis

[Heldi]

Dennis has got the hang of...ahem...doing the wild thing with the hens. Problem is he is really ruffling their feathers.  Poor Toffee is looking particularly ropey and I'm quite concerned. She is almost bald on her mid back. Tammy is nearly the same too. They are beginning to look frightful. I can tell it's Dennis because of the wet weather, each hen has the same wet/muddy ruffled feathers in exactly the same place. It seems he favours Toffee and Tammy the most,or the others manage to avoid him better? I am frightened that Dennis will scratch them so much he draws blood and then ofcourse the worry is of the other hens pecking at it.


Any ideas,solutions ?

[faeflowers]

Hi Heldi  :)

I love hens! I only wish I could have them on my allotment, unfortunately I can't because of the contract.

If you are keeping hens for pets / eggs / ground clearance, Cockerels, although magnificent and extremely attractive, can cause problems, like you say, they do become very 'active' and can make your poor girls lives a bit of a misery.

My only advice is when keeping chickens inside rather than out for longer periods (i.e. winter/spring)  that you find a separate housing space for your boy, in summer when they're running around outside for longer, they have more chance of dodging the 'flattering' advances of the male amour  ;)

An old friend of mine never kept his boys and girls in the same house even over night, he tended to lock the girlies up for the evening and then the guys used to just roost in the nearest shrub or small tree :)

Hope things calm down for you soon

Fae

[Robert_Brenchley]

Maybe he wants a bigger harem.

[Lady Cosmos]

May be Dennis is bored. I should seperate him for a while.
It is possible that he has a shortage of protein???
What can help is PHB spray  (hen) , it smells, but is often effective.

[Heldi]

Thanks for your help peeps!

Faeflowers. I originally got six hens to help me with the weeding on my big plot! Two turned out to be cockerels. One unfortunately became aggressive towards my 2 year old daughter and is gone. The other is Dennis. I had not ever planned on having a cockerel but he is a lovely placid bird and great fun.  I have now got 14 hens along with Dennis. They are pets, are all named and hopefully have a good life...until Dennis's hormones kicked in!

They have a large indoor area which is about to be expanded,incase we have to keep them indoors due to avian flu. Also quite a large pen outdoors. They get to roam the plot as much as possible . That will have to be controlled as the planting goes in,i.e. they will be supervised  :D!

Robert...don't you think he has got enough with 14 ??!!  Mind you I read yesterday about a cockerel servicing a goose!  :o No I'm not getting him some geese!!

Lady Cosmos, been wondering if he is bored. Have also been thinking along the lines that both you and faeflower have suggested and separating Dennis for a while.  I mentioned this to OH and he is worried it might make Den aggressive. ?? I personally hadn't thought that that would be the case.

Shortage of protein. What do you suggest ?  They get pellets which should contain everything they need. Also they get mashed up veg often with a good slug of cod liver oil in it.  Poultry spice once in a while. Corn mix in the evening...to get them back in the pen!

PHB haven't heard about this. What is it?

Toys. Have been reading up about keeping hens from getting bored when in their pen.  I buy cabbages etc for them and chuck them in whole. I have straw down and throw some of their corn mix in amongst it. I have tried bits and pieces tied up. They've had turf to scratch about in,also any big root clods I dig up so they can search for bugs.Am looking for logs now after reading about logs with bark on which they can peck at.   Any more suggestions will be welcomed!

[sandersj89]

You used to be able to buy things called Poultry Saddles. These fitted over the hens back to protect their feathers and body.

Once the feathers go the spurs/claws on the male bird can rip the hens requiring a trip to the vets.

Have a look on poultry supply web sites like Ascott Smallholding Supplies or in the back of Pratical Poulty Magazine or even their forum.

HTH

Jerry

[Heldi]

Thanks Jerry! Will check them out.

 Talking about poultry saddles, by pure coincedence have you noticed my new avatar ?  :D

[Paulines7]

Heldi

Is it not possible to move Toffee and Tammy into a separate area?  This would give them the opportunity to grow their feathers back. 

If Dennis remains with the main flock, he wouldn't become aggressive, not that I have heard this happening but I have only experience of my own flock.  I had two cockerels once who started to get aggressive towards each other so I separated them.  Neither became aggressive towards me or anyone else.

My cockerel Wellington also has his favourites.  I have seen him run 50 feet from one end of the run to the other when he spotted number one favourite coming out of the chicken house.  She played hard to get and he chased her all over the place.  His eyesight must be good to have spotted her from a distance with 13 other hens about.  So far though none of the hens have bare patches on the backs of their necks.

Good luck Heldi.  :D

[Heldi]

Hi Pauline. Thanks for the advice.  I've spent a couple of hours with the chooks this morning.  Didn't see Dennis do his thang at all,not even once. I'm beginning to think it is because they have been in their pen alot or even indoors, due to the bad weather. We've had loads of rain.  Maybe it is because he is bored and maybe the girls just can't avoid him when they are in the pen. He did nothing this morning except strutt about on guard duty. Not saying that he wasn't up to no good before I got there and after I had left!    ::)

Poor Toffee is quite a bit down the ranks,I wonder if Tammy would bully her if I separated them together? Not easy to figure this pecking order out is it. I know who is at the top,Tallulah, and I know who is at the bottom Ginger and Caramel,but inbetween ??  Poor Toffee.she is my prettiest chook, a proper little red hen!

The good news is, after a whole day of roaming the garden yesterday Toffee's back looked alot better. Mind you she isn't soaking wet and covered in mud either which she has been for days and days in this weather. OH and I are trying to figure out a way of giving Dennis his own space/pop hole where he can still see the girls but can't hassle them...until we get there to let them out into the garden..then it'll be run for your lives!!!

[CityChick]

You used to be able to buy things called Poultry Saddles. These fitted over the hens back to protect their feathers and body.

Once the feathers go the spurs/claws on the male bird can rip the hens requiring a trip to the vets.

Have a look on poultry supply web sites like Ascott Smallholding Supplies or in the back of Pratical Poulty Magazine or even their forum.

HTH

Jerry

I've heard of them too.  And I'm sure I remember someone making them for sale on another forum.  Would have either been practical poultry, the poultry keeper, or downsizer.net

[Lady Cosmos]

PBH spray (that is the right name)we use when feathers are been picked. It is stag-horn oil, put it on the hen, it smells terrible but it is effective. The hens are safe than because they smell. Spray 250 ml about Euro 8.

[Heldi]

Citychick  I remember reading about them in an issue of practical poultry but can I heck as like find it!

Thanks for that Lady Cosmos.

[growmore]

Have used saddles on turkeys before when the stag turkey was a big un .
Have not seen them for hens but they are probably about ..
I think the spray is used if you get an out break of  feather picking occurring in a flock. We used to use stockholme tar for same purpose. Debeaking is the method used today I believe..I dont think it would help you as in Dennis  .. If it's  his spurs that are doing damage  you could have em removed. cheers ...Jim