4 month old chickens eating each other

[mashby]

I have adult and 4 month old chickens. They are in seperate pens. The pens are 20 X 20. The adult chickens are pulling each others feathers out where the tail feathers meet their backbone, and below the tail feathers, They are looking really bad. The 4 month olds will draw blood at the same place and kill each other. And eat each other. I feed scratch, laying mash to the hens, garden greens and table scraps. It's not just one chicken it's all of them. Any suggestions?

 

[hrhta812]

Overcrowding or nutrition deficiency seem to be the most likely culprits: http://urbanchickenconsultant.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/molting-or-pecking-problems/

That must be awful We've got one that has a perpetual bald spot on her head, but it's just a pecking order thing.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Over crowding, boredom, mites, lices and particularly the need for animal protein in the feed. Not an unusual problem among birds fed a vegetarian diet.

You'll have to work down this check list.

 

[hrhta812]

What kind are they? Some breeds tolerate confinement better than others, according to breed profiles.

 

[mashby]

I don' feel it's overcrowding, got to be diet. Any suggestions?

 

[mashby]

What do you feed for animal protein?

 

[mashby]

We have Black Austerlorps( 4 mo olds pecking each other to death), RRI, and Buff Orpingtons. I don't feel its overcrowding. When I was researching chickens to decide what to get, these seemed to handle confinement ok.

 

[LindsayB]

My chickens have done this before and I think its boredom/overcrowding. I started letting them out more to scratch in the grass and gave them a flock block to peck at in the run. Solved the problem quick.

 

[hrhta812]

Scrambled eggs No joke - they love it.

You're right, those breeds do well in confinement generally. Mine put up with more than the books say they will.

Check for lice, too - they could be picking them off each other. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[mashby]

I'll try the scrambeled eggs. We 7 dusted the pens. Just found another of the 4 month olds dead. I'm about out of ideas. I can't turn them loose. Too many dogs in the neighborhood that would like fresh chicken for supper.