Chicken attacked by flock during night

[cafarmgirl]

You can probably also get away with just one nest box as well with your small flock. My coops both have two boxes, I usually have about 10 birds in each coop, they all lay in the same box. The other sports cobwebs.

 

[StephanieC]

My neighbor has nine chickens, three nest boxes on the coop and several others around the yard. Apparently they all insist on using just one of the coop boxes and all stand in line for it each morning.

 

[iwiw60]

This is stage one, new nest boxes downstairs. They are 14 gallon bins, 12 1/2" tall inside, 16" wide and 24" long.




They do take up a fair amount of room on the bottom of the coop, but the chickens free range all day anyway, so the bottom only gets used for at most a half hour per day (I admit I am not always "up with the chickens").

My Orpington layer, and the other two chickens who are closest to laying, all checked the boxes out. My layer went all the way in, then backed out. I hope she is ok with the boxes.

Still have to change out the roost pole. I have the piece of lumber, just have to take out the old one and replace. I compromised with a 2x3, I am trying not to add too much weight to the coop. It is already too heavy for me to move.

It looks like Cuda is already interested!! Like another poster said you most probably could just use one of the totes...most chickens all end up using their "fav" together..chickens...go figure! A 2 x 3 ?? Well, it's better than what you have now I guess. I think you'll see a big improvement with your girls now that the 'upstairs' is just for roosting...more room for their big fuzzy butts to spread out!

 

[StephanieC]

Cuda is the Barred Rock that got attacked. Right now she is on my kitchen porch until she is all healed up.

It is raining out now and all the other chickens are wishing they were where Cuda is!

I hope she will be left alone once I get the longer roost bar in the coop. 66" of roosting bar, plus some cross bars, ought to be a big improvement. The guy who builds my coop feels that the setup I have had, with nest boxes upstairs, is plenty for six full sized birds or up to nine bantams, but I think he is wrong. He quotes square footage, but that is a separate issue from roost bar linear feet. I learn every day.

I really appreciate everybody's advice, especially iwiw60.

 

[iwiw60]

You're quite welcome, and I wish you all the very best! Post pics when you get it all done!

 

[StephanieC]

Here is stage 2, the new roost bar and the nesting box, which my laying chicken used this morning ( after yelling at me about the change).

I know the roost bar needs to be painted, but I wanted to get something up quickly. What kind of paint is safe to use?

I tried letting Cuda out this evening when I fed mealworms, because she looked all healed. In short order, of the Orpingtons pecked her and drew blood. What in earth am I going to do?

 

[iwiw60]

Here is stage 2, the new roost bar and the nesting box, which my laying chicken used this morning ( after yelling at me about the change).

I know the roost bar needs to be painted, but I wanted to get something up quickly. What kind of paint is safe to use?

I tried letting Cuda out this evening when I fed mealworms, because she looked all healed. In short order, of the Orpingtons pecked her and drew blood. What in earth am I going to do?

DON'T paint your roost bar! Just leave it as is...and by the way...LOOKIN' GOOD!! It's not Cuda that should be isolated, but the Orpington that's doing the damage. She needs to be put in Chicken Jail...like a dog crate. Give her her own water/feed but keep her locked up right in with the others.....the jail of shame! Believe me, they get the message. Sometimes it has to be repeated a few times but it does work.

 

[StephanieC]

Ooh, thank you, I didn't realize. Ok, this I can do. It is one of the Orpingtons that needs to be knocked down a few notches. I can't believe how much this pecking order changes over time.

My gold Easter Egger, Honey, initially appeared to be Top Chicken. She gets after my Havanese dog, even, and was the clear leader, although she wasn't hard on her flock-mates. But suddenly the Orpingtons were acting up, I saw the one that is laying face off with Honey and it ended with Honey running away across the yard. Then just a couple of days later, the less mature Orpington is getting nasty with the laying hen. My jail will be circulating, I guess...

 

[StephanieC]

Funny thing is, tonight when they went to bed, they were all in the exact same spots they were in with the old roost bar...but I can see how much more room they have and how much less crowded it feels. There is plenty of room for Cuda now. She could have two feet to herself the way they are arranged. I just hope they will let her back :-(

Chicken jail for mean chickens, coming up. I don't have room for a rooster!

 

[iwiw60]