Chicken Aggression? Small spaces? Debeaking? AH!

[georgetown chic]

ok, I realize that if chickens have small spaces, establishing a pecking order, or they are sick or injured they will be aggressive to each other. However, this is what is happening - I have had my 9 girls for about a year and a half - their spaces include a nice size coop with nests/stalls for everyone, they have a covered run and an outside run to sit in the sun, etc. Recently (about 2 months or so), it seems that 8 of my nine all hens have started to pick on one hen. The picked on hen tends now to hide in the corners - then all the others will literally gang up on her - she cowers and just will take it :-( If I am around and observe this going on - I go to her rescue - I scream of course and then start snapping my fingers until they all move away (with the look "who me?"). I have no idea what is going on - if she is sick I am not aware of why and she is not injured - her only problem is that when she was a chick, she somehow hurt her leg and now walks without bending her legs (imagine someone walking on their tiptoes) Other than that she is fine. Help - can't they all just get along or what should I do to help her blend better. Thanks, MM

 

[chicksurreal]

ok, I realize that if chickens have small spaces, establishing a pecking order, or they are sick or injured they will be aggressive to each other. However, this is what is happening - I have had my 9 girls for about a year and a half - their spaces include a nice size coop with nests/stalls for everyone, they have a covered run and an outside run to sit in the sun, etc. Recently (about 2 months or so), it seems that 8 of my nine all hens have started to pick on one hen. The picked on hen tends now to hide in the corners - then all the others will literally gang up on her - she cowers and just will take it :-( If I am around and observe this going on - I go to her rescue - I scream of course and then start snapping my fingers until they all move away (with the look "who me?"). I have no idea what is going on - if she is sick I am not aware of why and she is not injured - her only problem is that when she was a chick, she somehow hurt her leg and now walks without bending her legs (imagine someone walking on their tiptoes) Other than that she is fine. Help - can't they all just get along or what should I do to help her blend better. Thanks, MM

Hmmm.

So all 9 of these chickens used to get along and then all of a sudden one started to be picked on by all of the others? That IS odd if nothing has changed in the last few months, I think.

The only experience I have with this issue is when one of our chickens gets injured and has to be segregated for a while and then reintegrated. It seems like they take a little bit of time to accept her back, but then all is well. I can't say for sure why your poor hen is being picked on. I'm sure someone with more experience can chime in and maybe help you and your poor little chickie.

 

[georgetown chic]

Thanks for your comments - no, I cannot think of anything that has changed except that the weather has been warmer than usual and then extremely cold and off and on rainy (northern California foot hills). Because of this crazy weather I have not let them to outside coop as much - that might be the only thing that has changed - do you think they are bored? Another thing, I may pay attention to her more than the others because of her "gimpy" leg - I always make it a point to make sure she is getting the greens and scratch I give my other girls - maybe that has made a difference in the pecking order - I don't know - I keep observing the coop and my girls from afar to see if there is something else. Thanks again, MM

 

[MelB]

Once chickens start hen pecking other chickens, it's very difficult to get them to stop. I've lost 2 of my 6 hens this winter,of the 4 remaining one of them is missing most of her tail feathers. As this has been a miserable cold and snowy winter in Michigan, they have been cooped up too much. Early on I had a heat lamp on during the night, and even though it was a red lamp, it kept them from sleeping and started the whole situation. Unfortunately there continued to be ongoing pecking even after lamp adjusted. This is the first flock that has done this - so I'm blaming it on too cold and cooped up crazies!

 

[chicksurreal]

Thanks for your comments - no, I cannot think of anything that has changed except that the weather has been warmer than usual and then extremely cold and off and on rainy (northern California foot hills). Because of this crazy weather I have not let them to outside coop as much - that might be the only thing that has changed - do you think they are bored? Another thing, I may pay attention to her more than the others because of her "gimpy" leg - I always make it a point to make sure she is getting the greens and scratch I give my other girls - maybe that has made a difference in the pecking order - I don't know - I keep observing the coop and my girls from afar to see if there is something else. Thanks again, MM

I do think that being cooped up too much when they are used to having more freedom makes them more prone to aggression and boredom. I know when we had a few rainy days and they couldn't go out at all they were a little stir crazy!

We have had to keep ours in their run more than usual lately due to a bobcat on the loose (he got two of our cockerels

), and they definitely do not like a change in their routine. They do adapt, but it takes some time and it can get a bit nasty. Ours were allowed to have free run of our property from early morning until around 5:00 PM, now they get to go out for two or three hours a day with my supervision. I'm fortunate in that I work from home and make my own schedule, but they did not like having their freedom reduced like that.

I hope your situation resolves in a positive way, I wish I had better advice for you, but I do think supervision is key (as much as you can manage).