This is my first year raising chickens (I have four that are 7-8 months old, which I got together when they were 6 weeks old) and this morning the brown leghorn (Isabella-background in pic) was fighting quite aggressively with the blue orpington (Penelope- foreground in pic) to the point that Penelope's comb was bleeding. I have never seen this behavior between them before. The pecking started quickly (thankfully I was outside and heard it) and regardless of where Penelope went in the run or attached coop Isabella followed her and kept pecking at her. I immediately separated them and locked Penelope in the coop since there was a lot of blood on her comb (I didn't want the other two chickens to start in on her, too). I cleaned up the wound and put some Pick-no-More coverup lotion on it, put some food and water in the coop and will leave her there for a while. The other three chickens are in the run and everyone is getting along fine.
I've been reading the forums about pecking and it seems like it can happen when pullets are getting ready to lay. Isabella (the aggressor) has been laying for a month and Penelope has been squawking so much lately that I'm surprised she hasn't started laying yet. The other two are squatting so are getting pretty close to laying, too (I live in Minnesota so our days are still short). I have two nesting boxes and Isabella lays in the same one each day. I have seen the other hens sitting in both nesting boxes. Is this sudden aggression by Isabella related to leg laying or is something else going on? My coop is 28 sq. ft. and the attached run is 72 sq. ft. so there is ample space for four chickens. They do free range most days when I'm home. Any thoughts?
UPDATE: When I got home this afternoon Penelope (who was closed off in the coop) was doing well, her comb looked good and she had laid her first egg (in the same nesting box Isabella uses). I let her and the other three out to free range and everyone seemed to get along fine like usual. I know pecking is a natural behavior with chickens but any insights into why it occurred so unexpectedly today would be welcome.
I've been reading the forums about pecking and it seems like it can happen when pullets are getting ready to lay. Isabella (the aggressor) has been laying for a month and Penelope has been squawking so much lately that I'm surprised she hasn't started laying yet. The other two are squatting so are getting pretty close to laying, too (I live in Minnesota so our days are still short). I have two nesting boxes and Isabella lays in the same one each day. I have seen the other hens sitting in both nesting boxes. Is this sudden aggression by Isabella related to leg laying or is something else going on? My coop is 28 sq. ft. and the attached run is 72 sq. ft. so there is ample space for four chickens. They do free range most days when I'm home. Any thoughts?
UPDATE: When I got home this afternoon Penelope (who was closed off in the coop) was doing well, her comb looked good and she had laid her first egg (in the same nesting box Isabella uses). I let her and the other three out to free range and everyone seemed to get along fine like usual. I know pecking is a natural behavior with chickens but any insights into why it occurred so unexpectedly today would be welcome.
