7 month old hens raised together and now fighting.

[kellyjeanne]

This morning I woke up to a mega ruckus coming from my chickens. I went out there and my buff and BR were on one end of the run and the other three were perched up at the other. The buff was just SQUAWKING loudly. When I let them loose, I realized that she was bleeding from her comb, so I scooped her up and brought her inside so I could clean her up and bluekote her. Obviously, when I brought her back out, I stayed to watch them for a bit and she has now twice picked fights with our dominant hen and I've had to separate them. She's just started laying and so maybe she's trying to reset the pecking order? But I don't know what to do. Should I let them do their thing? Should I put her in a dog kennel in the run for a few days? Even since writing this, she's pecked st her again, but they didn't get to a full on squabble. My EE who she keeps trying to get at is completely uninjured, so obviously is still getting the upper hand. I just don't know what to do about my buff. I'm new, obviously, and just trying to take care of them right.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Pecking order adjustments should not be drawing blood in general. Several factors could be leading to these scuffles. Putting her in a kennel would certainly put her back at the bottom of the pecking order but may only cure her issues if they are hormonal otherwise whatever is triggering her will likely still be present. I would normally rely on my Rooster to keep the girls in-line but that is not always a solution for folks that don't have a good Roo to marshal the hens. Space or more specifically the lack thereof is the most common reason for infighting but it also often occurs during a time of molt where typically dominant chickens feel more lethargic. Hope you found some useful tidbit in there. Best Wishes!

 

[kellyjeanne]

It's illegal to have a rooster where I am, so there isn't one in my flock. She laid her first egg this morning, so I thought maybe it's hormonal, but that still seems generally abnormal. The run is 5x20x8 for 5 hens, but I have about 1/4 acre where they free range and she was going after her while freeranging....but even though she's the aggressor, she's still the one ending up bloody. I have her alone in the run right now for a bit and was thinking I'd isolate her in a 3x4x3 wire dog kennel when I have to put them away later...maybe give her a day to heal up and cool off and see what tomorrow brings?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

This happens sometimes when other hens would like the top spot. When chickens fight, blood will likely be drawn.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I have 4 month old cockerel who keeps going at our about 1 year old bantam, they can fight continuously,adventually the cockerel give sup and runs off, never really separate them.