Fighting chicken. HELP

[kristinas]

Hi. I'm new on here. I've read a lot of entries but now I have a question of my own. We have three hens. They usually do just fine but this Morning I noticed they were fighting. And as I looked closer at one I noticed she has a few wounds on her face and waddles ( the other two are fine ). She also has some yellow stuff on her beak. I don't think she's sick. It's not like jaundice. It's more like she ate yolk but there hasn't been any broken eggs. She's eating and drinking fine. She's also active like normal. I just don't know what to think. I've been sitting out here for a couple hours and there hasn't been any more fighting. It would be a hassle to have to separate them. I will if I have to. But is it possible it was just a one time thing ?

 

[TwoCrows]

If the hens feel cramped up, they can argue and become aggressive. If they are bored, they will bicker. If one is sick, they can pick on the ill one. So you need to try and read their minds and figure out what is going on.

If they are too confined, get them something to do instead of pick on each other...hanging veggies or cabbages, seed pecking blocks or a flake of alfalfa hay. Same with boredom...get them out to free range or something to occupy their time.

Give the bird that was wounded an over all exam, starting at the head and on down to the vent...you are looking for any respiratory ailments, runny nose, wheezing, swollen face, pale comb, mites or bugs, injuries...anything that might be a symptom of being ill. Flock members know when one is sick and will want to run them off to protect the rest of the flock.

For now, use some blu-kote on the wounds of this bird. Separate out the one that is starting the aggressions. You can keep the bully separate for a week or so to chill her out. Sometimes this calms down the bullies. If the bully just won't quit, you can use pinless peepers on her. I have a hen that has to wear eye wear occasionally as she has aggression issues with the other hens.

Good luck and enjoy BYC!

 

[kristinas]

Thank you for your reply. Maybe they were bored. They seem ok since I let them our of their enclosure. I'll try hanging food. thanks for the advice.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Hens do sometimes just squabble over something or another. You might consider putting something like Blue-Kote spray on the hen with the wounds if they are open so the other chickens don't start picking on them. If she had yolk on her, she may have found a floor egg or soft shelled egg etc that another hen laid and eaten that, know my hens will squabble over soft shelled eggs that are dropped outside.

 

[sourland]

The social or pecking order is a fluid ever changing thing. Dominant birds want to retain their dominance, and subordinates want to improve their position. Unless a bird is being seriously injured, more problems are created by removing a bird from the flock as opposed to letting them work things out.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

 

[gander007]

Alright

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