[geordiechick]

HELP!  16days ago we adopted 3 ex-batt rescue hens.  They all seem happy and have settled in well.  The only problem I have at the moment is that the dominate girl (the smallest and scruffiest - Maureen) has taken charge of the run. 

She spends the majority of the day in the run eating the Page & Allen ex-battery crumb.  The other 2 spend the majority of the foraging in the garden.  If they should go into the run - regardless of where Maureen is she will sprint across the garden into the run and chase them out once she realises they are eating her food.  Margot seems to cope OK with this and keeps going back for more.

However, Barbara (bottom of the pile, but our favourite) gives up straight away.  And now, even if we lock her in the coop by herself to eat or put a feeder outside the cage, she takes 1 or 2 mouthfuls of crumb and then turns her beak up at it and wanders off.
What should we do?  The girl we've caught laying recently is Maureen and she seems consistent.  Some days we get an additional egg but have not caught either of the other girls at it.

Would changing to pellets intice Barbara to eat more?  She does eat other stuff - going mad for dandelions, my veggie plants (now netted off), worms, etc.

Thanks for any help .....

[joyfull]

have more feeders and drinkers than chickens then the bossy one can't guard all of them, also perhaps grind some up as she may be struggling to eat pellets having been raised on mash 

[AL Hathaway]

if she is being fussy with the mash try adding a bit of water for her. also you could leave them in the run until they have had their ration of food in the am and let them out in the after noon or when you see fit.

[geordiechick]

Thanks for the advice.  Thought I would wait to test it out before replying.

We now have 3 feeders.  We let them out of the coop but keep them in the run every morning and have bought pellets and put a mixture in every feeder.

All seems happy on the feeding front now - THANKS!

[bantam novice]

 
Good outcome!