13 week pair of sister Barred rocks fighting

[thebirdladykel]

. Hi everyone! I'm seeking out some advice. On Sunday I went outside to find one of my two hens with a bloody comb. They have been together since day 1 and have loved each other and now all of a sudden we are experiencing this tension. I separated them in the coop run so they can still see each other and bought a puppy crate that I put the injured girl in at night inside the coop and her sister sleeps on top of it. I've done supervised play time every day for a short time. They get anywhere from 1-5 hours of free range on a normal day. Their coop run for just the two of them is 10x3 feet. They have unlimited scratch and water and then I give them treats everyday whatever I have. They were free ranging when they got in the fight that turned bloody. I put the black pick-no-more stuff on the bloody comb. But I'm really unsure what happened and am scared to put the back together unsupervised. Any one else experience this type of behavior before? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join us here! I'm afraid sometimes fights can break out even with established birds that have been together for a while. I know this certainly occurs with my birds. A reminder from some of my more dominant hens to the ones lower in the pecking order can be quite nasty. Chicken pecking orders can be fascinating. My guess is she was asserting her dominance and caught her on the comb. They can bleed quite a lot which can make the problem worse as good tends to send them into a pecking frenzy.

I'm sure once she has healed they will be fine to go back together. Good luck and enjoy BYC

 

[junebuggena]

First off, I want to say that Barred Rocks tend to need more than the average 10 sq ft per bird. They get bored easily when kept in a run for most of the day. They need things to keep themselves busy. A big pile of straw or grass clippings will keep them occupied and busy for days. A big rock or stump in the run that gets flipped over every few days is great way to get them bug hunting.
Your girls are also at that hormonal, teenage stage. Basically picture two teenage girls sharing a closet. Things can get tense. Keep them busy and distracted, and they will eventually calm down. I do suggest making your yard more chicken friendly. Gravel and concrete do not make for interesting foraging. Planting some berries or flowering shrubs will attract insects and give your birds some more variety.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT

 

[drumstick diva]

agree wholeheartedly with Junebuggena. Especially re: two teenage girls sharing a closet.

 

[junebuggena]

Thanks. I shared a room and a closet with my sister, who was only a year younger, growing up. I get what those two girls are going through. LOL.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!