Betty White is in the chicken hospital.

[dmm8412]

Hello flock friends.

I have a cute little white hen getting picked on. I've had my flock for about 4, almost 5 years. We add to it every year. Chicken math you know. Betty is about 2 and up until this spring she's fine fine with the other chickens.
Well she is looking rough. Been pecked raw several places. I just feel awful. I put her in the chicken hospital (a tote with a screen lid) to let her heal. The thing is, this isn't the first time. And Betty is a unique lady. She lets the gentlemen callers know when she isn't feeling them, and she doesn't take crap from the other ladies. I'm not sure, if one of the boys was insisting he needed to love her, or she got in a fight with one of the other girls, but she is beat up. I have the blue stuff to stop the pecking. But this keeps happening. We are going to enlarge our run and add coup, so both boys have their place to roost. Will this help? Any other suggestions?

 

[aart]

one of the boys

Multiple males raises a red flag for me.
Often creates an environment of competition,
bringing out the worst behaviors in all of them.

I have the blue stuff to stop the pecking.

Blue stuff won't necessarily stop the pecking, IME it can actually attract pecking attention.

But this keeps happening.

Need more info....
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders).
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics).


Timeline of 'abuse'...what changed that may have triggered the abuse?
Change in housing, feed, population, etc.

Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @dmm8412
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[dmm8412]

Multiple males raises a red flag for me.
Often creates an environment of competition,
bringing out the worst behaviors in all of them.



Blue stuff won't necessarily stop the pecking, IME it can actually attract pecking attention.



Need more info....
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders).
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics).


Timeline of 'abuse'...what changed that may have triggered the abuse?
Change in housing, feed, population, etc.

Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @dmm8412
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2127425

So we live in the Allegheny National Forest.
Marienville PA. Two of our 9 hens are 4 Betty is 2 the rest are a year, until we get this year's peeps out there. We did actually move in September last year. Same town, a few miles away. Same coup. It's a chicken for Knox. The massacre happened when they were ranging, so they don't do that anymore. The coop is 5'x8'. The run is 8'x20'. They have lots of spots to roost.