chickens fighting

[amymitchell]

Honestly,....i can see no reason that adding a rooster to this situation is going to solve anything, only add new problems. Unless of course if you want fertile eggs.
i believe it may be just space and boredom issue.
I cant see anyplace that the leg injuries could have happened by acccident in your coop. I would use some triple antbiotic cream on her legs until they heal.
if you have a bully hen, let her wear a pair of pinless peepers for a while. Its quite the humbling expierence and they come thru it with a new attitude.
Your coop setup is nice, you just need to keep the rigtht amount of hens for the space you have to avoid overcrouding.
Also try some boredom buster ideas, like the hanging cabbage, or they make these balls that you put scratch feed in that the chicken has to move around a lot to get the seeds out. Give them some alfalfa hay to scratch around to get the tiny leaves out of. Its great nutrition for them when there is no fresh grass to eat.
good luck!

Thank You! I feel like thats something I can grasp and start. Feeling helpless and wore out with this. Not easy to manage this with a recently replaced hip. Going to order the peepers now. Can you find the balls at "feed stores" or strictly on line? Thanks again.

 

[50-45-1]

https://www.chewy.com/lixit-chicken..._TFULJ4Rmxw3J5U25ij2ndUze1vxEVJQaAtcVEALw_wcBWell this is the one i was thinking of. You probably will want to call your local feed and farm stores and see if they carry it, or just order one and save the trip.
I also saw online that people just use an empty plastic water bottle, drill a few small holes in it and fill with scratch feed or seed and make a home made one.
Hanging some greens or vegatables, putting in a few extra roost branches in your run, add a couple apple crates, buy a flock block, just a few ideas i have seen used.
Good luck, and i hope your hip heals well and soon!

 

[Jajika]

• Any suggestions on new out break of fighting. My previous tribe was incident free for almost 4 years, we gave them all new homes before this batch so no integration issues. They started laying about a month ago and just last week had to bring 2 in for separation. Got there wounds healed, tried to re introduce and same birds getting attacked. Gave them all bands but I can not catch the perp or perps. When I stand there to observe every one on best behavior.

 

[VJK]

I echo providing some enrichment activities. I have a 6x8 coop and a large run (that they didn't get to use in the snowy months). Last year I had to clean wounds and wrap feet everyday from the constant pecking. Literally, everyday! I only had 6 hens so thought they had enough room. I changed my coop design and added "floors"- ledges where they could climb to get away from each other (my coop is tall so could do 3 floors). I added ramps and a spiral staircase (central rod with wooden posts circling around it), and hung treat feeders and a mirror. This year even with 2 extra hens added- no pecking at all. When they get bored, I think they focus on each other in a negative way!

 

[Jajika]

Thank You! I feel like thats something I can grasp and start. Feeling helpless and wore out with this. Not easy to manage this with a recently replaced hip. Going to order the peepers now. Can you find the balls at "feed stores" or strictly on line? Thanks again.

I have what I call a dual purpose cage that is heavy gauge wire and able to hold three chickens. It opens from the top. I use for either a suspected sick chicken, but mostly when I get new girls. The set up allows the old flock and new hens to see and smell each other. I fill it with soft straw and put water and food in it. At night I cover it with a tarp, then open it for the day. I call it my "you can see me and smell me, but you can't touch me." I leave the newbies in it for at least four days. Then, when I'm ready to integrate them, I stay outside with them for about an hour. This scenario has worked very well for me. It allows everyone to get familiar by the time they actually meet each other.

 

[NaperLix]

Easiest way outside,put a small 2' fence you can drag across,move around..seperate them.In coop make it dark,they don't see well in dusk.Use shades or dark cloth.They can still see to eat,half dark.
It doesn't matter what the diversion,some seek out the other to fight.They know you don't like them fighting ,so you'll have to spy more to catch them.They can fly over a small fence,but I find they rarely do.I use this method everyday.Mine do not fight through the fence ,however,if there's real hate,they may.Then two fences would be needed.
Rememberer also,,pre- broody or frequent broody hens,attack they're best friend for weeks,until broodieness is gone again.they are like Sybil !I use fence then too.

 

[Double Yolked]

If you are quarantining the injured hen for a while I've had really good luck with using Blu-Kote as a wound dressing. Get the kind with a dauber. The only downside is it stains the hen's leg dark blue. I solved the beat up the different one problem by daubing the uninjured hens all in the same spot on their legs. Hard to single out one when you are now blue footed hens!
Sometimes one hen will take a dislike to another and do all in her power to kill her disliked flock mate. That hen house is "ok" in size, close to what I have with 7 hens, but the run may be a bit small. One of my hens is also a bully and will beat the snot out of my smaller hens but never does draw blood. So I too would be worried about something, maybe not a rat but something, else getting into the coop.

 

[Stephen12]

Blu-Kote their wounds. chickens do not like the taste of it and should leave her alone. Diameter tacious Earth in their feed

• Any suggestions on new out break of fighting. My previous tribe was incident free for almost 4 years, we gave them all new homes before this batch so no integration issues. They started laying about a month ago and just last week had to bring 2 in for separation. Got there wounds healed, tried to re introduce and same birds getting attacked. Gave them all bands but I can not catch the perp or perps. When I stand there to observe every one on best behavior.

Blu-Kote on their wounds. Chickens do not like the taste of it and should leave her alone.Food grade diatomaceous earth in there food for worms. Dust them with it for mites.

 

[geno 9129]

SPEND MORE TIME WATCHING YOUR HENS ,LEAVE THEM IN SMALLER AREA AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS ,THE MEAN HEN WILL SHOW UP ,THATS THE HEN TO GET RID OF PUTTING CHICKENS NEXT TO EACH OTHERE DON'T WORK THAT GOOD ,I PUT TWO COCHIN BANTY ROOSTERS NEXT TO EACH OTHER ,THEY FIGHT THROUGH THE CHAIN LINK FENCE,SO HAVE TO KEEP THEM OUT OF SIGHT OF EACH OTHER,YES PUTTING A ROOSTER IN WITH YOUR FIGHTING HENS HELPS HE WILL GET IN BETWEEN THEM AND STOP THE FIGHT,BUT WHEN YOU TURN YOUR CHICKENS OUT INTO A BIG YARD THEY ALL WILL GET ALONG LOTS BETTER, GOOD LUCK