canabalism

[Dee Voors]

I am in desperate need of help. I have raised chickens off and on for about 15 years and have never had this problem to this extent. I have about 70 red production hens that are about a year old. I have never raised this breed before and have never had this problem to this extent. They have a coop that is 8x20x15 with an outdoor run that is 10x 50. plenty of roosts and 25 nesting boxes. heated water and free choice feed, But they keep killing each other. this has been going on periodically since I got them. but recently is much worse. I have had 3 killed in the last 2 weeks and have recused 13 who's butts were raw and bloody. removed 7 today alone. I am ready to start debeaking everyone but really don't like that. Any suggestions at all???

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Overcrowding and/or to much bright light is your problem. Either de beak them, build a bigger chicken Ponderosa, or add anti peck peepers..

 

[Care for chicks]

What does debeaking mean? I'm new to these sayings.

 

[bobbi-j]

Debeaking means to cut a portion off the top beak. I would not recommend this. I do think your birds need more room.

Over crowding can be a cause for cannibalism. Suggested space for chickens is 4 square feet per chicken in the coop, and 10 sq. feet in the run. This is not a hard and fast rule. It's suggested. Some chickens will need more space than that, some will need less.

What are you feeding them?

 

[Care for chicks]

Debeaking means to cut a portion off the top beak. I would not recommend this. I do think your birds need more room.

Over crowding can be a cause for cannibalism. Suggested space for chickens is 4 square feet per chicken in the coop, and 10 sq. feet in the run. This is not a hard and fast rule. It's suggested. Some chickens will need more space than that, some will need less.

What are you feeding them?

Thank you so much for the info, backyard chickens are really helping me to learn more!

 

[chickens really]

Hmmm...Okay this is not good. Production Reds are aggressive. They do not handle crowding or confinement well and need higher protein feed no less than 21%..
Cannibalism is horrid in Birds..I had RIR and will never own another Red Bird.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I got ready to lay pullets from Moyer's a few years ago (red sex link) & they clip beaks when they raise them. At one point they did the same thing, but I caught it early. Moral of the story, beak clipping will not stop this!

 

[aart]

They have a coop that is 8x20x15 with an outdoor run that is 10x 50

A bit confused...
Is the coop 8Wide x 20Long x 15High? That is the standard nomenclature.
I'm guessing it's actually 15W x 20L x 8H?
Not bad for coop space, unless they are in there all day long....run's a bit small.
What is your location/climate? Guessing it's cold if you need a heated waterer.
Is your run weather proof?
What and how exactly are you feeding? Especially protein percentage.

Are you positive that they are actually killing each other,
or are they dying from something else(disease/predation),
and they are just partaking of a free meal,
maybe containing something you are not feeding them)animal protein?

 

[Dee Voors]

I am feeding layer mash and scratch. Coop is an old pup trailer so 8 ft wide and I guess 10 foot tall and 20 foot long We did not have snow til Christmas day, so they were in the run every day. They are pecking at rear ends til bloody mess and, if I don't catch it early enough, dead. As I said I had to remove 13 of them and had 2 dead in the last 4 days. This has been an ongoing problem but is dramatically worse in the last week.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would suggest a higher protein feed. From what I've read, layer feed doesn't have enough, and the scratch is diluting what there is. Can you get your hands on a high protein, non-medicated game bird feed, or all flock grower feed? If that doesn't work... I almost think you'd be better off either "thinning the herd" or starting over completely. I'm afraid that they have gotten into a really bad habit that's going to be very hard and maybe impossible to break. I don't know what else to tell you. Hopefully someone else has better suggestions.