Pecking Chickens

[ninnymary]

Ridgerunner, I don't have a rooster and she's not going through a molt yet. I've seen the barred rock and one of the easter eggers peck at her. Her feathers don't grow back because I think they peck any new ones coming in. The pullets are almost 12 wks andnot on layer feed yet and she is that's why I don't want them together. I don't want to have to buy the feed that can be given to both.

Right now I can't separate anyone since my pullets are using the only separate space that I have. I just wish she wouldn't just stand there and let them do it and that she would fight back or something! :/

HPQ I give them scratch a couple times a week but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The others just walk up to her and decide to try and pull a feather out.

Mary

 

[journey11]

Mary, I had one like that, she had been injured by a dog and even after healing up the others took advantage of her and pecked her feathers out unmercifully. I don't think they'll ever quit. I had to remove her from the flock, but she later died from complications from the dog attack anyway (internal layer). Sad.

I've had nothing but wonderful personalities in the EE's I had. They were sweet, gentle, most personable and friendly. Worst meanies I had were my Blackstars. Hyper chickens seem to be the worst.

 

[thistlebloom]

Ridgerunner made every point I was going to - we must be on the same wavelength!

Mary, why can't you put her with the pullets anyway?
Are you concerned she won't lay on the pullets food? She sounds pretty stressed out anyway. Seems like your other hens have gotten into a bad cycle of pecking and you need to change something up.

I know you have a small coop and this may not work, but I try to keep a layer of straw or leaves in the run and toss scratch into it every day. The hens have to "hunt" for their goodies and it keeps them occupied.

It is funny how we all have different experiences with the same breeds. My RIRs are friendly and non aggressive and the BO is a chaser and a little ornery with the banties. And the Black Copper Marans is my least favorite of all, but I know a gal who thinks they're the best natured.

 

[ninnymary]

Thistle, I like your idea of putting straw in the run. I'll do this and leave a spot of dirt where they can still have their dirt baths. The area where the pullets are is too small for 3 of them. It's the section underneath the enclosed coop where the hens sleep.

A local keeper of chickens has the same problem but his is much worse. All of his hens look pretty bad. I guess mine doesn't look so bad compared to his. He said he will probably switch to Rhode Island Reds because he didn't have a problem with those in the past. Seems like some people love/like certain breeds and swear by them and others will tell you the opposite! Just like Lesa says. I've only been keeping chickens for about 3 yrs and only once had a slw with a bare butt that didn't look too bad.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i know that same trend happens in my flock too, even with bantam cochins. i have 2 cochins (lavender sisters) that are the meanest brats in the coop to my other birds and me. even some of my roos fear them! then they jump in my lap as if there was never an issue with me and expecting treats. my bantam faverolles are the sweetest but some have been flighty and tend to watch for these 2 particular girls, the favs tend to loose their beards and tails to them if they are in the same area. the cochins will stand up to my LF favs too but seem to be more in the middle of the pecking order under most of the LF girls, but higher that the other cochins and my bantam favs.

i would suggest trying to pull your picked on girl and putting her in with the pullets for a time. watch her till you feel she is not picking on the smaller birds. she should be fine with eating the feed you're giving to your pullets. in fact, it might be good for her to have the higher protein from their feed to help her feathers regrow. also give her some black oil sunflower seed. i do this while my girls are molting since it has a high protein content and the oils in it help their skin. have you also checked you're hen's weight to see if she could be loosing any from the stress?

 

[ninnymary]

Chickies good reminder about the black oil sunflowers. I have some and have forgotten about it since I have the container with the cracked corn out. I will start giving that to them. Her weight feels the same. She acts normal and not stressed. If she's stressed how would she act? Around August, she laid a small egg with no yolk and hadn't laid for a couple weeks. I mentioned this to the breeder where I bought my pullets and she mentioned what it was called but I've forgotten. I was concerned because she had't laid and thought she might be egg bound but the breeder said she was ok. She laid another one of those small eggs without a yolk and hasn't laid since. Is it because of stress? She doesn't appear to be molting yet.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

sounds like a 'wind' egg, or and egg 'fart' as i've heard others call them. weather can play a part in causing those eggs. but usually you will also find an over sized egg around the same time. those will usually be a double yolked egg if you find it. or, i've had the larger egg come out as a 'rubber' egg, one with no shell but the membrane is strong and sort of reminds me of a rubber ball until it breaks. one of my faverolles had this issue this summer right after a really hot day.

usually a stressed out bird will shy away from the rest of the flock or instead of looking perky and alert, will hold her tail low and look like she's always cowering from being touched.

 

[Adambelmont321]

Spray the area with blue cote, that should help a bit. You could always try taking the most aggressive of the hens away for a few days then putting them back. Sometimes it changes the pecking order just enough to stop the picking. Good luck!

Exactly, spraying the blue cote may help you..

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Mary, If you can't relocate her, I would think that Blue Kote spray would be best. It has worked very well for us in the past. I have a mean Partridge Rock hen that was always after two of my Austrolorps. If they can't see a color difference, they may not pick at her.

I am trying to remember your set up, but could you make a temporary chicken wire extension (like out into your yard a bit) to expand the room underneath the hen house to accomadate your pullets and your picked on hen? Putting her in with them, really does sound like the best plan if you could figure out a way to make that happen. IMO

 

[ninnymary]

Here is an update of what's been happening. I haven't separated her because her feathers are growing back! I take it that she is not getting pecked or very little. I haven't seen the barred rock peck at her. The hens are also starting to molt. I have been giving them black oil sunflower seeds daily.

Stubbornhill, enlarging the section under the hen house might be a possiblity but right now it is to the edge of their door where they jump down. I removed their ladder because it was a pain to remove it daily to open up the wall to clean the poop board. I would have to put the ladder back and the enlarged area would be alittle under the ladder. There is a picture of my coop under "Pictures Finally!!!" post.

I don't know where to find blue cote around here. The closest TSC store is 2 hrs. away. I thought blue cote was something you put on the bare spots of the hen and it tasted awful and that's why they don't peck at it.

I also lost one of my 12 wk. pullets a couple days ago. She appeared to have gotten stuck underneath the chicken wire gates that open the separate section they were in. She was the speckled sussex that I drove an hour to get and was $15. I've been wanting one for so long and I just feel awful about what happened. In another 3 weeks, they would have been old enough to introduce them to the rest of the flock. Now I just have the other pullet and she is so flighty. If I had to lose one, I wish it hadn't been my sussex.

Mary