Bought a whole flock and some are really pecked up...

[Happy Chooks]

Sounds like rooster damage, from mating. If there were roosters where you got them from, it will take a while for the feathers to grow back.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Thank you all for the great advice. You are all so helpful. They have never been with a rooster, so I am starting to believe it is a dominant hen. I think my flock size is great (18). Right now they have access to their yard that is about 30'x30'. I have only had them for 4 nights so I have not let them out to free range. I believe that I will/already am a better chicken momma. I think they were taken care of "ok" but not the best. Perhaps better feed, some TLC and more room/less hens will help them all out.

 

[N&MSchroeder]

Hang in there and hopefully things will settle down. They will appreciate the extra room and won't be as likely to get in a squabble. Are they still laying? I would check for mites, etc. and probably put something on the bare spots, which will deter further pecking. With the most aggressive chickens, you might try either holding them or holding them down and letting them know that there is a new "rooster" in town! Gangland, I love it!

Congratulations on your new flock!

 

[chicmom]

Hello!

I would really check them all over for mites and lice, just to be safe. I'll bet you're right and they were probably overcrowded in their previous home.

I like a product called Blue Cote. It looks really bright blue, but it heals the wound, and also the blue color isn't attractive to hens, so the others won't peck at the bald spot. It comes in a spray, or a bottle. Unfortunately, it'll look like your ink pen exploded on the back of your hen

But it works very well.

As far as the rough behavior, anytime a chicken gets a new environment to live in, the flock will establish it's pecking order, and that is probably what's going on now. It'll probably be rough for the first week, but soon, things will settle down nicely.

I would just quietly observe, in case you have some really, super mean hens, but you do have to give them a bit of time to work that pecking order out.

Good luck with them! I'll bet they're so happy to be somewhere new with better care and more space!

Sharon

 

[Happy Chooks]

Then I'd check for lice/mites. For lice, look for egg clusters (white) around the vent. They may be picking themselves due to the parasites.

Agree with chicmom about the pecking order being disrupted. It will take a couple weeks for them to establish their new order.

 

[corancher]

I was just wondering if the hens are molting. I know mine get pretty bald when they molt. I try to put the hen saddles on the worst of the bunch until they get their new feathers.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

I will check them for mites and lice today. I was just reading about treatment options for them and am now more confused than ever. So many differing opinions about various products. What is toxic, what is not....dusting versus topical treatments. It is so hard to know what to do.....arrggh.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Okay I couldn't take it anymore I had to go check a few of them. I checked two of them. A RIR who is in bad shape and a BO who is not so bad....couldn't see any evidence of mites or lice. That is good. We have very sandy soil and the first few days they were here I saw them all giving themselves dust baths. So I think I will make them a bath of DE and sand for them to use as a preventative measure.

They are laying...I thought they would stop for a bit after we moved them...they were over 180 miles away after all and I thought that might stress them out. I have gotten at least four eggs a day. Of the 18 I have four are not quite old enough to lay. So of the 14 that are I think they are doing okay....one day I had seven.

Also the family we got them from inherited their initial flock from a deceased family member. They had no idea how old some of them were. In my flock I have one silver laced Wyandotte, several BO's, several RIR's, one barred rock, several white rocks and two solid black ones that I am not sure of the breed. So it is possible that some could be aging out of the laying years. How exactly will I know if they are no longer laying?


Again thank you all for your replies and help...this forum rocks!

 

[Fritatta]

the only way I know to see who's laying and who's not is by observation.
I check my nests several times a day, and often I will see a girl sitting, or one just walking away.
However, I do have one 52 week old buff orp who faithfully sits on a nest every day, but she has never laid and egg.
The only way I figured that one out is that one went broody. and for 3 months I did not get a single brown egg. Then ex-broody started laying again.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

There seems to be less of the comb pulling over the times I have been in there, now the submissive ones just squat. I think I have a new alpha hen, she is black with about six red feathers on her chest, her comb and wattles are red and black and she is beautiful. She shines green in the sun. She has pretty orange eyes. I can't really tell what breed she is, but she is the only one like that in the flock.