[oborne27]

are beak bits humaine or not.
I've spoken to several people and I'm very confused on if I should oe shouldn't use them.
The problem I've got is a hen constantly feather pecking another hen (who is broody) and anti peck spray hasn't worked.

any thoughts?

[joyfull]

they are fine, the hen can still eat and drink but not close it's beak enough to feather peck 

[cluckingnuts]

Using beak bits is treating the symptom + not the cause. You don't mention how many birds you have, if it's just the 2 you need to get a few more.

[GrannieAnnie]

But what if you can't discover the cause?  Some of them just seem to feather peck for the hell of it!

[cluckingnuts]

Is the broody in the nest box that the other hen regularly laid in?

[oborne27]

Hi All,
Sorry for not getting back but pressure of work and all that.
to answer your questions, I have just the 2 chooks, the broody one is in the nest box. The coop is 1mtr Sq with a run 5.5mtr x 1.2mtr. The nest box is big enough for about 5 hens in a row. The broody one gets booted out of the coop most days and she gets picked on by the other one. they have 'play things' in the form of perches, dust bath and is bark floored over soil so they dig for England most days.
I hope that helps.
Geoff

[cluckingnuts]

Two is not a good number to have as the dominant hen has only one to pick on.

[oborne27]

should we get another hen? and if so how do we get it accepted by the other 2?

[joyfull]

it is difficult to introduce just one hen ideally you need to get two and remember to keep them seperate for a while in case of infection.

[oborne27]

thats cool. the girls here at home would love to have another 2 hens.
is it a good idea to use the beak bits just to break the current habit or do you think it will cease when we get the other hens?

[joyfull]

I would wait and see how the introduction goes. Keep them seperate for a couple of weeks but in sight of each other then gradually move them closer until their feed containers are just oposite each other.  When you do put them together make sure you have several feeders and drinkers plus lots of hiding places 

[Aunt Sally]

Two is not a good number to have as the dominant hen has only one to pick on.

I have two hens.  I've had two hens for about 4 years.  They get on very well together and neither behaves more dominant that the other.