Badly Pecked Hen Need Advice

[FunClucks]

I'd definitely put a lot more clutter in your run. Hanging food to peck, things to scratch around in, grazing boxes, think 3 dimensional and breaking up the line of sight without creating dead ends. It can be as simple as a whole apple or cucumber or head of cabbage on a string. Amazon has a great chicken skewer for hanging food. I'd definitely suspect boredom played into their behavior.

https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Vege...445199&sprefix=chicken+skewers,aps,101&sr=8-7

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ke-your-run-more-fun-for-your-chickens.67370/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Kiki]

The longer you keep your birds separated the more trouble you're going to have... Usually.
If the one bird is not injured or has already healed I would recommend putting her back as soon as possible.
You could either move the dog crate that she's currently in into the coop and leave her there for a couple of days or just put her back in and stay close by and watch.
There is no guarantee that they will accept her back into the flock.
I would not offer treats like corn on the cob regularly ever.
Please remember that treats of any kind will dilute a balanced diet and when they do not get a balanced diet, enough protein, they will start eating each other's feathers.

 

[Kiki]

Do you keep your coop door open to the run at all times?
If your run is predator proof I highly recommend keeping it open at all times so they have enough room to run around.

 

[GaDawgChic]

I definitely stop that lime stuff and I would also stop all treats for a while too to make sure they are getting enough protein with just the balanced complete feed...the Purina.
Have no idea what Lisa Steele's supplement is but I would stop that too.
If you feed a complete balanced commercially made poultry feed you shouldn't need to add anything to it.
Extras are not always a good thing and garlic is possibly toxic to birds.

Yes I was thinking I would just give them the Purina and only that. I have read so much about raising chickens it's hard to decipher what is good and what is not so good. Here is what the description reads for that supplement: "This formula contains brewer’s yeast and garlic powder which contains niacin (vitamin B3) to promote proper bone growth and development. This supplement may also help support their immune system and respiratory health, reduce manure odor and promote healthy digestion!"

I always hesitate to give them the strawberry tops and squash and zuccinni as well. Part of me just says I don't feed my dogs people food because it's not meant for their stomach and digestion so why am I doing this for the chickens. The other part of me reads stuff online and almost everyone says to give them these things and I don't want to be a bad chicken mom and deprive them of things that they should have. For now, it's just going to be the Purina and that is it. What about the boredom things though like the corn and the cabbage? I would thing that it would be ok with that because that would be something they have to work at to get rather than me just putting it out for them.

 

[GaDawgChic]

I'd definitely put a lot more clutter in your run. Hanging food to peck, things to scratch around in, grazing boxes, think 3 dimensional and breaking up the line of sight without creating dead ends. It can be as simple as a whole apple or cucumber or head of cabbage on a string. Amazon has a great chicken skewer for hanging food. I'd definitely suspect boredom played into their behavior.

https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Vegetable-Hanging-Feeder-Veggies/dp/B08H4S2MKG/ref=sr_1_7?crid=I0QF0ULMS6TL&keywords=chicken+skewers&qid=1661445199&sprefix=chicken+skewers,aps,101&sr=8-7

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ke-your-run-more-fun-for-your-chickens.67370/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Thank you so much for the advice and for being so helpful. I'm going to check those links out now!

 

[FunClucks]

Oh my goodness you are so extremely helpful! I can't thank you enough for all of this! I didn't put much of the FSL in the run since I put it around the outside. I may have made that unclear in my post. I'm frazzled by all of this. One minute I'm good and think I've got it under control and the next minute I'm bawling my eyes out because I don't have a thing under control! My husband is a saint.

I've never thought about them being bored but now that you say that I'm sure that they are. Do you have any suggestions on how to hang the cabbage and corn? Do I just hang it raw without cooking or boiling or anything? I have added one roost bar in the bottom right corner of the run since those pictures were taken, but I am thinking it is probably a little low so I will put in another one on the other corner a little higher up this weekend.

I have seen the pinless peepers online today but I really wonder it they really work and if it's really worth it. Would removing Dixie for a few days and reintroducing her be as efficient as those? Also, when I do reintroduce Dixie to the flock how do I go about doing that? Is there a certain way I should do that? I am sorry I have so many questions. I just want to do what is best for them and not by trial and error if I can avoid that.

Raw fruit and veggies is fine, just make sure it's not spoiled or bad or moldy, etc. No raw potato peels, no onions, there's lists on here of stuff that's toxic to chickens, and things they usually don't eat. Mine love to eat almost everything. Keeping it to less than 10% of their diet while busting the boredom is the challenge to me.

You can try and remove her for a week or so and then reintroduce the chicken doing the pecking into an updated run. You could do the pinless peepers. It all depends on how much risk you are willing to accept that your other chickens could get injured again, how closely you can watch the aggressive chicken, and what you consider "next steps" you're willing to take.

I had a chicken that, the day after the chickens were put into their new covered run, within one hour, removed all the feathers from the lower back of one of my other hens. Like 50+ feathers. I tried to isolate for a week, then reintroduce after my injured pullet healed, but once the aggressor came back, she started going right after the previously injured chicken again. The injured chicken was lowest on the pecking order, but my favorite, so I rehomed the aggressor. I figured a change of scene and management technique and flock would either eliminate the behavior or another family could have chicken soup. I could probably have tried pinless peepers, but I had really small pullets, and couldn't find the right size peepers. Also I had more chickens then I wanted (the expected random chick deaths and surprise roos didn't materialize), so it was a good reason to downsize.

 

[GaDawgChic]

The longer you keep your birds separated the more trouble you're going to have... Usually.
If the one bird is not injured or has already healed I would recommend putting her back as soon as possible.
You could either move the dog crate that she's currently in into the coop and leave her there for a couple of days or just put her back in and stay close by and watch.
There is no guarantee that they will accept her back into the flock.
I would not offer treats like corn on the cob regularly ever.
Please remember that treats of any kind will dilute a balanced diet and when they do not get a balanced diet, enough protein, they will start eating each other's feathers.

Oh I plan on putting them back as soon as I think they are healed up enough for it. I actually think the 2 that did not go to the vet will go back in by Saturday. I just want them to have that cream on there for a couple of days without me worrying if they are being bothered or not.

Ok you just mentioned about eating each other's feathers. When Dixie pecked Bindi last night, she did eat the feather she pulled out! I thought it was weird but thought it might just be some kind of weird chicken thing! Do you think I need to change the Purina to another one of their products?

 

[GaDawgChic]

Do you keep your coop door open to the run at all times?
If your run is predator proof I highly recommend keeping it open at all times so they have enough room to run around.

I do keep the coop door open to the run at all times. We are predator proof because we have owls, hawks, eagles, raccoons, etc...

 

[FunClucks]

Oh I plan on putting them back as soon as I think they are healed up enough for it. I actually think the 2 that did not go to the vet will go back in by Saturday. I just want them to have that cream on there for a couple of days without me worrying if they are being bothered or not.

Ok you just mentioned about eating each other's feathers. When Dixie pecked Bindi last night, she did eat the feather she pulled out! I thought it was weird but thought it might just be some kind of weird chicken thing! Do you think I need to change the Purina to another one of their products?

What % protein do you feed them? Also, do they have oyster shell/egg shell available free choice as a calcium supplement if needed?

 

[GaDawgChic]

Raw fruit and veggies is fine, just make sure it's not spoiled or bad or moldy, etc. No raw potato peels, no onions, there's lists on here of stuff that's toxic to chickens, and things they usually don't eat. Mine love to eat almost everything. Keeping it to less than 10% of their diet while busting the boredom is the challenge to me.

You can try and remove her for a week or so and then reintroduce the chicken doing the pecking into an updated run. You could do the pinless peepers. It all depends on how much risk you are willing to accept that your other chickens could get injured again, how closely you can watch the aggressive chicken, and what you consider "next steps" you're willing to take.

I had a chicken that, the day after the chickens were put into their new covered run, within one hour, removed all the feathers from the lower back of one of my other hens. Like 50+ feathers. I tried to isolate for a week, then reintroduce after my injured pullet healed, but once the aggressor came back, she started going right after the previously injured chicken again. The injured chicken was lowest on the pecking order, but my favorite, so I rehomed the aggressor. I figured a change of scene and management technique and flock would either eliminate the behavior or another family could have chicken soup. I could probably have tried pinless peepers, but I had really small pullets, and couldn't find the right size peepers. Also I had more chickens then I wanted (the expected random chick deaths and surprise roos didn't materialize), so it was a good reason to downsize.

I would try the reintroduction method first and if that didn't work I may try the pinless peepers. If that doesn't work then I will sadly have to rehome her. I just can't risk this to continue to happen because I can't be home all day long and watch them. Here's hoping boredom busters and a little time out for Dixie will be ok.