- Apr 23, 2012
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I have 4 chickens. One chicken, Miss B (she has a more official name that starts with B and ends with itchy. Trust me, it's well earned. 
), she's gotten vicious to another chicken Gypsy, to where she pecked a hole in her neck that over about a week, eventually got to the size of a nickel. She doesn't go after the other 2 chickens. However, sometimes when Miss B gets going on Gypsy, one of the other ones might join in the frenzy.
This started on April 7th. I don't know why. I'm good about giving fresh water and food, no parasites or obvious disease, their run was 10'x16', plenty of room, the coop is 4'x5'- plenty of room at night, and I let them into my backyard to roam for a few hours every day, I've had them for almost a year without any problems.
When it 1st started I put this goop on that was supposed to taste bad and discourage the pecking. It lasted for maybe a day. I applied it at least once or twice over the next few days, but eventually Miss B would just peck Gypsy in the same spot despite it. I'd built a divider in the chicken run and put the 2 dominant ones on one side and the mellower chicken, Goldie, in with Gypsy. That seemed to work some and I'd rotate their roaming times, but Gypsy was so terrified of Miss B that she would fly up on the coop and stay there all day. Even though they were separated.
I had divided the inside of the coop with wire so that the same birds were divided at night, but eventually Gypsy upon going in would hear Miss B's aggravated voice toward her or Miss B would try to get at her through the wire, so Gypsy started sleeping on the coop for the next 3 nights. I couldn't get her to go in.
Just this weekend, we moved the coop and built a run in my backyard instead of the carport. 22' x 7 1/2'. It has grass, rocks, I put branches for perches at different heights. I kept Miss B out of it for a few days and when I let her in, she was chillin' for a while, checking things out and then viciously went after Gypsy again. I immediately took her out. (The other 2 chickens do not pester Gypsy on their own.)
I made an isolation station for Miss B under our deck. This was 2 days ago. I let both groups out separately to roam. Am I doing the right thing completely separating Miss B from the flock? What kind of effect could that stress cause her? Is the purpose of isolating her to break up the pecking order or should I just make an isolation station within the current chicken run with the others, so that Miss B is near them, but doesn't have access to them? How long do I isolate her for? And what do I do if the behavior from Miss B doesn't change in 2 weeks? I only have one coop and I built Miss B a small temporary one from a large plastic bin that is suitable for a single chicken.
Thank you for any help anyone can give this. I absolutely love my birds and this situation has really stressed me out!
I appreciate it.
Sally
), she's gotten vicious to another chicken Gypsy, to where she pecked a hole in her neck that over about a week, eventually got to the size of a nickel. She doesn't go after the other 2 chickens. However, sometimes when Miss B gets going on Gypsy, one of the other ones might join in the frenzy.This started on April 7th. I don't know why. I'm good about giving fresh water and food, no parasites or obvious disease, their run was 10'x16', plenty of room, the coop is 4'x5'- plenty of room at night, and I let them into my backyard to roam for a few hours every day, I've had them for almost a year without any problems.
When it 1st started I put this goop on that was supposed to taste bad and discourage the pecking. It lasted for maybe a day. I applied it at least once or twice over the next few days, but eventually Miss B would just peck Gypsy in the same spot despite it. I'd built a divider in the chicken run and put the 2 dominant ones on one side and the mellower chicken, Goldie, in with Gypsy. That seemed to work some and I'd rotate their roaming times, but Gypsy was so terrified of Miss B that she would fly up on the coop and stay there all day. Even though they were separated.
I had divided the inside of the coop with wire so that the same birds were divided at night, but eventually Gypsy upon going in would hear Miss B's aggravated voice toward her or Miss B would try to get at her through the wire, so Gypsy started sleeping on the coop for the next 3 nights. I couldn't get her to go in.
Just this weekend, we moved the coop and built a run in my backyard instead of the carport. 22' x 7 1/2'. It has grass, rocks, I put branches for perches at different heights. I kept Miss B out of it for a few days and when I let her in, she was chillin' for a while, checking things out and then viciously went after Gypsy again. I immediately took her out. (The other 2 chickens do not pester Gypsy on their own.)
I made an isolation station for Miss B under our deck. This was 2 days ago. I let both groups out separately to roam. Am I doing the right thing completely separating Miss B from the flock? What kind of effect could that stress cause her? Is the purpose of isolating her to break up the pecking order or should I just make an isolation station within the current chicken run with the others, so that Miss B is near them, but doesn't have access to them? How long do I isolate her for? And what do I do if the behavior from Miss B doesn't change in 2 weeks? I only have one coop and I built Miss B a small temporary one from a large plastic bin that is suitable for a single chicken.
Thank you for any help anyone can give this. I absolutely love my birds and this situation has really stressed me out!
I appreciate it.
Sally
