How big is their coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.
Crowding can cause much strife...especially during CabinFever season.
What all and how exactly are you feeding?
aart,
The coop in my opinion is very small, but they have plenty of room to roost, and they are only in there at night to sleep, which they usually do very well. They are let out in the morning into the attached run area which is 8 feet long by 6 feet wide and I leave the door open with a baby gate across it to keep the squirrels out. They also like to use the baby gate as a perch. They come and go as they please into a large fenced yard.
My aggressive girl Marigold, (who is not laying, though acts like she wants to) started raising her head (stretching her neck up) to tower over my other hen Merisol, (who was the dominant one... and the only one laying) The aggressive girl goes up into the roost area of the coop for long periods of time like she is laying then comes back down and I check the coop and nothing is there.
I am feeding my girls a whole grain organic grower feed plus supplementing oyster / egg shell and grit free choice. They will also get an occasional treat of meal worms, grubblies, or dried crickets.
They are fence ranged normally, but the area is covered in snow so, I supplement their feed once or twice a day with fresh greens / grasses. I ferment their feed and also offer some dry.
They normally hang really close together. but now Merisol, my hen that is being bullied is out foraging on her own and the aggressive hen Marigold, tries to keep Merisol out of the food, water, run & coop... but will eat right along side her if they are outside. Marigold is not aggressive toward my third hen Matilda (who is at the bottom of the pecking order).
Marigold has been pecking at Merisol's eyes, face & head... yesterday she had Merisol screaming , that is when I intervened and removed her (Marigold) from the group.
LOL
