Chicken Trying to Escape

[DobieLover]

What I find weird though is the behavior only started this week, and they were fine before then, I wonder if anyone could explain that.

Molting has or will be starting soon. That sometimes makes them uncomfortable and feeling vulnerable. If a chicken starts to behave differently they often get pecked or attacked.

 

[Alex998]

Molting has or will be starting soon. That sometimes makes them uncomfortable and feeling vulnerable. If a chicken starts to behave differently they often get pecked or attacked.

Thank you! That explains it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

The run is a big empty rectangle, and there are 3 feeders, with one of them being right next to the egg laying hatch.

Here's my run with plenty of clutter in it. There's no place where I can stand and see the entire thing at once even though I'm much taller than the chickens are.

 

[Alex998]

Welcome to BYC.



Here's my run with plenty of clutter in it. There's no place where I can stand and see the entire thing at once even though I'm much taller than the chickens are.

View attachment 2827579
View attachment 2827580

Interesting, I’ll take some ideas! Thanks!

 

[Alex998]

Added some new things for them! Definitely a work in progress, and I am going to get some 2x4s to build some perches! Here's a video of them!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have to agree with @DobieLover when she says your chickens are seriously overcrowded in the run. Rule of thumb is to provide 10 sq feet per hen, so your run should be 170 sq feet, not 25. How big is their enclosed coop, where they sleep at night? They need a minimum of 4 sq feet per hen in the coop. 17x4 = 68 sq feet. We don't tell people these things to be critical, but to be helpful, and to problem solve. If this hen is getting beat up and your facilities are too small, it is most likely that overcrowding is the cause of her troubles. She's a subordinate hen so she's the one the others are going to pick on. They need their space, and the only way they can get it is to evict somebody. And she's the one that's not fighting back.