At my wits end

[Rosebud25]

Just in case my laugh was misinterpreted it was for this -
Chickens are not recommend for sane individuals.Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery while using chickens. Chickens may cause high blood pressure in some individuals. Chickens may cause itching, blurred vision, facial tics. If you experience any of these side effects immediately get more chickens.

 

[bpoage]

So we got chickens April 23rd. 2019. We got 14 hens and one rooster. My husband built a beautiful chicken coop 300 square feet and a 100 by 10 foot run. I completely fell in love. They run to me every morning for cuddles and jump up on my back and are very friendly. Our problem started with my ladies picking on my rooster (Mr. Big) Big for short. Big was a lover never a fighter. He was just a beautiful boy and I loved him with all my heart. It got so bad we had to buy a large dog crate and put him in to heal. Make a long story short after healing and putting him back in of course it started all over again. I sobbed like a baby as I held him for the last time before giving him to my husband to take away his suffering. That was in November and I still cry (I am right now) every single week when I picture my Big boy lumbering around. Now the ladies have turned on each other. I’ve tried everything!! My husband built five perches, a swing, lettuce teather ball, treat balls, pie tins, mirrors etc., etc., etc.!!! I’ve sprayed blue Kote we’ve put peerless peepers on them NOTHING!!! NOTHING will stop it. Once again I’ve spent every day/night crying researching I just don’t know what to do. I should mention we were free ranging until a Fox got ahold of a couple in the fall. We’re in a very rural area and surrounded by Fox and coyotes not to mention hawks! So we’ve decided to let them back out to free range. I figured they either kill each other or another animal does. It’s like watching your babies get slowly tortured to death. I’ve told my husband if it doesn’t get better he’s going to have to kill them all and we’ll just have to give up as my heart can’t take the hurt. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I’m at my wits end and completely heartbroken!

I have a hen that the rest of the other hens pick on . We enlarged our coop so they could go on the other side of the hen house and not be to close to each other. I only have 1 rooster and 4 hens . I also have a beautiful black and white rooster I named Willie. I don't know what kind of rooster he is but he is very big . I would post a picture but can't seem to get a picture to post. I do everything to keep them happy . We are in the country and have lots of hawks that even fly down on top of the wire on the coop . I can't let them free range . I treat them like my children and have spent so much money on them . So I know how you feel .

 

[Vicker]

While there are chickens that will behave like this in any size coop and run, this level of aggressiveness is not normal. All I know is that I'd put them in the freezer and start over. I'm sad that you haven't been able to enjoy keeping chickens. I hope you will not give up based on this unusual experience. Try a smaller flock of a more mellow pure breed, like Orpington or Barred Rock. Or if you just want the unusual blue egg color, get pure Araucanas or Ameraucanas instead of the EE mutts. They can be a little more flighty but will stay more consistent with expected behavior.

 

[Bluecharm7]

I personally don’t think space is an issue. I have had to cram chickens into a smaller space while building new coops/runs for the chickens with little issue.

However, I did make sure that there were plenty of hiding spaces, perch’s spaced out at various heights and locations. Food and water was spaced out in several locations.

Someone will always be bullied, and those that are being bullied will need places to hide. There shouldn’t be injuries if the chickens can get away. Without going full out, dog crates will work, rubber maid tubs turned on it’s side, logs, maybe even add a few potted plants in various locations in the run.

The other thing I would do is ID each of the chickens and sit and watch them. To see what is happening and who is responsible. I have heard that some chicks will inappropriately peck their flock mates and if not stopped at a young age will carry on and that is how cannibalism starts in your flock. Other chicks will learn that behavior and follow along.

Another thing you didn’t mention, to the chickens have access to the runs 24/7 or is there an auto coop door or a pop door you lock? Meaning in the morning are the chickens able to access the run immediately? Do you have more then one feeding station? Are your perches in separate locations? Do you offer grit?

 

[Bluecharm7]

https://extension.psu.edu/poultry-cannibalism-prevention-and-treatment
Another thing to look at is the feed. I am not a huge fan of Dumore feed. There are other feeds that offer better nutrition, that are not that much more expensive. http://www.poultrydvm.com/feeds.php

 

[chickencoop57]

Well I have 12 hens and 3 of them are Rhode Island Reds and theyre very aggressive, so much that I had to separate them from the rest of the group and now theyre in a above ground pen. If it wasn't for me penning them and them laying nice egg's, they'd been supper!

 

[gmgallegos]

300 sqft run is small for 14 chickens. I have a 400 sqft run for 7 chickens and that’s barely enough. Fighting and pecking can be due to the small space. If you only have that much space maybe only keep like 5 or 6 total.

Sorry to hear about your rooster!

That’s the coop size not the run. The run is big.

 

[gmgallegos]

Somebody mentioned 300 square feet run being entirely too small for 14 chickens. I realize that the original post said that COOP is 300 feet, but still...

I thought 10 square feet of run / chicken was the minimum. If that's the case, wouldn't 300 square feet (21 square feet per bird) be more than adequate?

As far as the difficulty with the pecking... I'm brand new to this, but perhaps it's the fact that the first part of their lives was free ranged, and then they were cooped???

She said that’s the coop size not the run.

 

[Degalisto]

While there are chickens that will behave like this in any size coop and run, this level of aggressiveness is not normal. All I know is that I'd put them in the freezer and start over. I'm sad that you haven't been able to enjoy keeping chickens. I hope you will not give up based on this unusual experience. Try a smaller flock of a more mellow pure breed, like Orpington or Barred Rock. Or if you just want the unusual blue egg color, get pure Araucanas or Ameraucanas instead of the EE mutts. They can be a little more flighty but will stay more consistent with expected behavior.

I think you might be on to something here. Maybe too close of breeding or passing on fowl genes(haha) I second Vickers opinion..get Ameraucanas or Araucanas( if you can find and afford) and you want that color or the others mentioned. I love my Australorps..mellow.

 

[Abriana]

I can’t offer advice on the problem, but I wanted to say so sorry about your rooster