At wits end over pecking Hen

[starri33]

https://www.strombergschickens.com/...qzS88CAiXB0bW8XpnqlCBUd7Uf_u4yLUaApkwEALw_wcB

 

[chkva]

I had a bully BR who was viciously attacking my SS. When I found her attacking her in a nest box I decided to re-home her. Put her up on craigslist and she was picked up within 12 hours.
My little flock of 3 now get along famously! SS started laying this year, I think she was a nervous wreck, they all roost together and I actually found the SS and BA laying in the same box yesterday.
Re-homing was the best decision I ever made and I would not hesitate to do it again. I don't have time to worry about bully hens and their victims. Just get rid of her, there are plenty of other chickens that are nice.

I rehomed my Cream Legbar for the same reason, once she was gone my flock was perfect again. I did try to work with her and do everything everyone said before I rehomed, I think it's just so I didn't feel guilty afterwards.

Some chickens just aren't the correct fit and there are plenty of chicks or chickens out there wanting homes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm still anxiously awaiting word on the protein % of the feed and a complete rundown of everything they are being fed.
A good protein rich distraction is a handful of crickets thrown into the bedding in the coop. You can raise your own crickets or buy online. 500 crickets are about $10.

I once lost some nice 12 week old birds to cannibalism when I stopped adding 60%fishmeal to their 16% protein organic grower feed. At 12 weeks I thought they would be OK to drop their protein from 20 to 16. They proved me wrong. When they went to cuddle at night, they started nibbling at each other.

 

[chkva]

I'm still anxiously awaiting word on the protein % of the feed and a complete rundown of everything they are being fed.
A good protein rich distraction is a handful of crickets thrown into the bedding in the coop.

So I just read about someone using bug bags for beetles and collecting them and freezing them... I was like because why didn't I ever think of this!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So I just read about someone using bug bags for beetles and collecting them and freezing them... I was like because why didn't I ever think of this!

About 98% of the posts I read talk about fruits, vegetables and grains/seeds for chicken treats.
I'm like .
Chickens are omnivores. I treat with meat, fish and eggs.

 

[chkva]

About 98% of the posts I read talk about fruits, vegetables and grains/seeds for treating chickens.
I'm like .
Chickens are omnivores. I treat with meat, fish and eggs.

Mine get eggs, leafy greens, meat, fruits, and veggies. I think people are nervous about meat and chickens, I don't know why. Mine will definitely eat any type of meat faster than they'll eat veggies and fruit unless it's hot out.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mine get eggs, leafy greens, meat, fruits, and veggies. I think people are nervous about meat and chickens, I don't know why. Mine will definitely eat any type of meat faster than they'll eat veggies and fruit unless it's hot out.

That is so true. The first time I saw extremely ravenous behavior in hens was when I was moving a chicken tractor and a frog ended up in there. They just about killed each other to get a bite of the frog.

Chickens like watermelon. They like to eat some tender forbs like young turnip tops. They love to gobble up scratch grains. However, given the choice between a bowl of watermelon, a bowl of greens, a bowl of scratch and a bowl of cooked turkey/chicken/fish/steak - 9 times out of 10 they'll go for the meat.

 

[Shadrach]

i have two hens (Rhoad Island Red and Buff Orpington) that have been together since they were chicks. About three.weeks ago I found my Rhoad Island Red with a hole in her back about the size of a quarter and deep enough for three quarters to fit in. I doctored her and made a chicken Saddle to help her heal. Then the next day she had a huge hole in the back of her head. I separated them putting the Buff in Chicken Prison for two weeks, where they could still see each other. I let them back in together and within a few hours her wound was red again. Then I started letting one free range and the other in the coop and yard. Changing each day. I did this for another week allowing my Red to heal. Today I put them together and within an hour the Buff had pecked out Reds feathers on her neck for about two inches. I don’t know what to try now. Can anyone help me?

Do you just have the two hens?
Can you post a picture showing the wounds.
Diet may be responsible but it is also possible that the aggressive hen is taking on the role of a rooster. Roosters grab hens at the back of the neck to mate. Sometimes a hen only gets half the picture, so to speak and will continually grab but obviously not mate.
Whatever the cause, separating unless permanently isn't going to make the problem go away; it just postpones having to deal with it.
In the short term get some of this or any pine tar and coat the back of the hens neck in it.
This will stop the other from pecking that area. If the aggressive hen starts to peck at another area then you will have to look for other causes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-and-injuries-with-stockholm-hoof-tar.74400/

 

[BjaJra826]

My RIR recently used to be like your Buff. I was ready to send her to freezer camp, but because I only had the three hens laying we decided to hold off until the spring chickens started laying. I had her isolated in a dog cage that was in the run. She could still see and interact with other chickens to a degree. I tried everything to get her to stop bullying, even puting her in with the others at midnight (she still tried attacking the spring chickens). Eventually she spent almost 2 months in the isolation cage. I let her out to clean the isolation cage 2 days ago and all of a sudden she was calm and didn't try to attack anyone. So far, she has not attacked anyone. On that note, I also increased the size of the run and coop, added extra perch and hiding room, and added a suspended toy that is changed weekly ( currently cabbage, next is a red cola can with rocks in it). Maybe adding more toys/distraction or more chickens is the answer? Also, disguise the wounds on your injured chicken. Chickens are cannibalistic and love the color red.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

We still don't have enough information to hazard a guess in order to ascertain the cause of this behavior. If we don't know what they are eating, we don't know why they choose to take bites out of each other.