Chickens killing chickens...HELP!!!

[aeg1001]

Hello i am a proud owner of chickens..... a lot of chicken(for me). We have several different breeds, all different ages.

We recieved a buff orpington that was already laying, none of our other chickens are laying yet. She has started pecking all the other chickens, a couple to death (we think its her...keep reading). I have been told to try viniger in the water, did that, we got feed that had more protien, and there is more than enough room in the chicken house. She has 4 different laying boxes to choose from, and its not like they crowed her, she runs after them. Is there anything else we can do other than pin her up?

We also have some Rhode Island red roosters and i noticed today they were starting to fight, could they be the ones hurting the chickens? My fiance and i were talking today we came to the realization that almost all the chickens that had been hurt or killed were roosters.


THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE GIVIN

 

[mypicklebird]

Where did the buff come from, did some one give her to you, or did she come from a feed store? Was she someone else's trouble bird I wonder?

If you think it might be her- GET her out, and see if the problem stops- chickens will establish a pecking order, but can and will kill each other on occasion- especially if there are different ages. Also some develop a taste for blood (cannibal chickens), and will peck out the vent area.

If you have fighting roosters- separate them.

Roosters will not usually attack and kill hens, just each other.

If you sit out there for 3 hours with a good book, look up when they squawk- you will probably find out who is the bad seed.

If she is older than the others, you might be able to get away with separating her until they are all the same size.

 

[enola]

Peepers are your answer. Some where you can order these to put on your chickens. This neat gizmo restricts their vision so they find it hard to pick each other.

But, I vote for removing extra roosters. Roosters generally do not like each other and many times they will fight until one of them is dead.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

by putting all different ages to gether at one time from different people
you have caused serious problems
first numbers of roosters need done away with
that is why they gave them to you
they did not want to slaughter them for dinner
call around your friends and see who wants to make them selves free dinners

thus that leaves you two problems

which the hen and one rooster live in one part of the chicken house

the chicks different ages in the other part of the chicken house

this would do until the chicks
which would not be having any more rooster just hens to be put in with the two adults when they are 8-9 months old
by taking the fences down in the chicken house at nite and letting early morning become the mixing point
or also you can take and move the 8-9 month olds over in the two adults side of building with the fence down for morning
besure and go out early with treats for all the chickens

email me for any other problems

I think the
wet mash probiotic is needed
1 qt of dry crumbles
2 qts of milk any kind
1/2 cup of yoguart
mix good and they clean it up in 20-30 minutes
clean up wet feeder and restock dry crumbles
feed this twice a week for month and then once a week

give 2 adults each 6 tbsp for each feeding

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

peepers can be gotten from
Smith's poultry supply
Smith Poultry & Game Bird Supply

14000 W. 215th St., Bucyrus, KS 66013-9519

Ph. 913-879-2587 - 7:30 A. M. - 3 P. M CST Monday-Friday

24-hour Fax. 913-533-2497

 

[aeg1001]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR ALL THE GOOD INFO!!!! We started this off bad, but we are hoping with all the good advice, things will turn around. The person that gave us the hen is a trusted friend who said she was as sweet as could be and would probably take up with the youngs one well. But that obvisouly didn't happen.

the other ones we got from TSC. They are just coming around to were we can really tell if they hens or roosters. We have somewere around 16 rhode island red's we got out of the pullets tub, but we are now finding we have several roosters. we have one buff rooster that is not as old as the hen, but the red roosters and the buff rooster are the one's that are fighting. they are seperated tonight.

we also recently got 2 8month old dogs and we thought they were the bad guys, but this morning when we went to let them out of there pin there was a BADLY mangled buff. we had to kill it

Are chikens have always been free range, and we have several acres that they rome on, so we have been busy most of the evening making fences and cages.

Once again thank you!!!!

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

do give the
wet mash probiotic so that they will get some good gut flora going
and it may give them some vits also
put 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to a
gloon of water
water each pen according to their size waterers

and feed wet mash according to adults and chicks 2 weeks old and older

 

[aeg1001]

ok thank u! we were just giving them cracked corn and bread till we got the hen that was laying and we got some layer feed and we can't keep the other chickens out of it.

 

[NotTheMomma]

What ages are all these chicks?

Since they are free ranging, they have plenty of room, so I'm surprised they would be causing any issues.

I'm wondering if you don't have an outside predator, like an opposum, coon, rats, etc. Do you have a cage you can set to try to catch a predator?

Cracked corn, and bread are NOT nutritious enough!! Depending on what age you have, they either need to be on a growth feed, or starter feed. The ones old enough to be laying can be on layer feed. Ones not old enough to lay shouldn't be eating layer feed, nor should the roosters. Way too much calcium for them.

I suspect that could very well be reason you're seeing problems. They need to be on the correct feed.

 

[aeg1001]

they range from 4months to 1month and i don't know how old the hen is. all of the young ones were on starter feed. my fiance decided he wanted to go more the organic way of raising chickens. He has been very picky about what he gives them. what would u recomend other than the cracked corn for the roosters....

Also at night we put them in a pin with a tarp over the top and sides so that nothing can get into the pin.