They are at it again!!!!

GrannieAnnie · « **on:** July 09, 2008, 22:58 »

What is it about these white Amberlinks??? 3 weeks old and they have started to feather peck again, like the others did last year!

I've got 2 in a box downstairs, and I saw another 2 tonight, but when I went into the brooder, do you think I could see them?

And yet, we've had the meat chickens and only had 2 pecking a little bit, put the vaseline or purple on their tais and no mre probs, same with the Babcocks, a couple tried it, treated them, put them back with the others, no problems, but the next batch of Amerlinks and they are at it again, even though this time their brooder shed is twice the size, they've got CD's hanging up, 2 long but low perches to jump around on, but they are still doing it!

I just don't know what it is about the whites. Katy Thear reckoned it happened less with the white chickens than it would with the browns. The only thing I can think of, is that when Rob came over the other week to see them, he asked if one of the chicks was bleeding. I looked after he'd gone, but it wasn't. What it was though was where their little tail feathers were growing, between the down and he new feather, you could see the skin was very pink. I just wondered if maybe they'd seen that and started to peck at it and it made it bleed.

Apart from that, I just don't know. I'm puzzled.......

poultrygeist · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2008, 23:04 »

Our Mrs Brown gets a few feathers pecked off her back now and then.

They seem to go for anything off white. Can't help otherwise. :?

Rob

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2008, 23:09 »

Thanks Rob, I know you would if you could! But I'm just so puzzled. A couple down our road had 6 of our last lot like yours and one of them kept getting pecked, so they separated the pecker and brought the pecked one back to us. I put her in with some others who had been pecked, and she turned into a bully, probably trying to get her own back.

so I got annoyed with her and put her back in with the main group and they wouldn't let her bully, and she had a new home and was no trouble, but then this couple got given a brown and a black hen and because the black one had a bare back, the Ambers kept pecking her until they got fed up and rehomed her, but they've never touched the white one. They did have another Amber that occasionally got pecked, but that's stopped now!

Strange!!!!!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2008, 23:38 »

I think it's more common for light coloured birds to get pecked.

ck2day · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2008, 14:47 »

Personally I think it's cos they are Grannie Annie's Amberlinks!!! My Amberlinks are always up to no good, at the moment I have one that has been broody for about the last 5 months and one of the others (named Bacon) has decided to join in. Both even sit tight in the box when there are no eggs about. They like to play hide and seek with their eggs, namely they hide them, we seek them, and if any hens is where it shouldn't be you can guarantee its an Amberlink not one of the ex-batts!!So I think there is something in their geneology that makes them want to do things differently to other hens

Claire

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2008, 14:55 »

Claire!!! Are you saying I'm a bad influence on my Amberlinks?

?

but that doesn't explain why the meat chicks and the Babcock's were well behaved!!!!!!

Aunty, I was sure that Katy Thear said in one book that because in a white chicken all the feathers are white, so they are okay, but in say a brown one, like our goldlines, the main feathers are darker brown but the underneath downy feathers are whiteish so they tend to stand out more and are more appealing. But I stand corrected if I'm wrong!

She also says that it could be boredom (nope!), lice or mites (defo nope!), lack of protein (with the amount of farmgate feed this lot are chucking down their little throats? I don't think so!!!!)

FCG · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2008, 22:47 »

My amberlink is always the naughty one of the three, flying up on top. Also flying over the fence for food in the mornings!

Scoffing my sunflowers and the rest of the veg in my garden.. blooming person she is. Plus she is the only one to not have laid yet!

Christmas time, choppy chop.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2008, 23:31 »

One of our meat chickens has started to lay eggs!!!!

ck2day · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2008, 09:11 »

Quote from: "GrannieAnnie"

Claire!!! Are you saying I'm a bad influence on my Amberlinks??

Would I ever say anything like that? :shock: I have just come to the conclusion there is something in the genetic makeup of an Amberlink that makes it a pain in the butt at times, if there is ever a hen that is where it shouldn't be you can bet its an amberlink

I had one last night that kept flying over the fence into the yard and eating the kittens dinner, everytime I put it back it just flew straight back over the fence..... I swear blind it was laughing at me and rosey "I can keep this up all night can you?" It even walked a couple of paces away before turning round and flying back over the fence. Anyone watching would have been in hysterics.

Are all none ex-batts like this or is it just the Amberlinks?

Claire

poultrygeist · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2008, 09:15 »

Ours have calmed down a lot but I must admit when I go in the run, they are all over the place, especially if I go in with a fork or spade.

They spend a fair bit of time sitting around sunbathing or keeping out of teh wind these days. Very stately compared to what they were.

rob

Miller · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2008, 12:55 »

Don't know about the Amberlinks, our Babocks are crackers too - must be the South Lincs air?

Or is Grannie Annie the link

poultrygeist · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2008, 13:33 »

It's looking that way. All pointing fingers lead back to Annie :roll:

I think they've decided, if they play up at their new home, they'll be taken back and can spend their days back there. Little do they know what happens in the big shed !! :shock: :twisted:

Rob

ck2day · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2008, 14:40 »

Quote from: "poultrygeist"

Little do they know what happens in the big shed !! :shock: :twisted:

Rob

I'm gonna tell the little b*****s what Brian will do to them in the big shed if they don't behave themselves :shock: :shock: :shock:

Bet they don't believe me though :x

Claire