Chickens eating each other....

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What are your average winter lows in your part of Arizona? Seems they probably shouldn't need heat. My birds are in single walled coops and our average low is around 30* but we get down to the upper teens and low twenties and they do fine (these are adult birds)

last year at this time.. we were negative 2 degrees... but so far this year... mid-teens have been the lowest I think.
 
Providing heat and light are not only unnecesary, they are probably contributing to the problem, IMO. Particularly light. If you just can't stand not to provide heat, I would use a red light bulb or a red heat lamp, and use it as few nights as you can stand to. Just be sure there is enough ventilation above them.

From what I've read, they may have learned this behavior too well to get it stopped now. But isolating the peckers/pickers is certainly the next step I would take. I understand why you took the injured one out -- it was probably necessary -- but this puts her at the bottom of the pecking order.
 
I have the same problem. One chicken is so frightened that it will not go in the coop over night so it is comming in with us at night. I am going to try pine tar - it tastes bad.
 
Quote:
Thats most likely your issue. Chickens are tough animals and they don't need any heat, and if they don't get complete darkness they will pick on each other. I live in NH and it has been down to 10 degrees at night and some days have only been a high of 25 and they are fine. If you need it for egg production put it in a timer to just give you maybe 3 extra hours early in the morning. I hope this helps!
 
I wonder if this isnt a bit breed specific? Ive heard of some breeds that are known for this, and other breeds that it never occurs in. I have nearly 100 chickens (do I really???) that are in a small coop at night, and a small run during the day until I get home and let them out, and have never had an issue like this.
 
I'm sorry Rhonda. I'm having weird behavioral things going on with my chickens too. You remind me of myself when you said that you just wanted to watch chickens in your yard and have eggs to eat/gift. The first year, it was like that for us. It was all very happy. But this year has been a nightmare. Chickens disappearing, a 'possum in the baby chickens little box, roosters trying to kill each other, etc. The whole thing doesn't make me happy anymore, it just causes STRESS!
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