fighting girls

[jmason]

I'll appreciate any input on this one.... I have two flocks that are kept in the same coop but seperated from each other. One flock has been together for a long time and I've never had any problems. Two of the girls are about 2 years and the rest will be a year shortly. All of a sudden this weekend, they seem to be fighting. It's seems to be that they are picking on two particle girls in the flock. Is there anything I can do?? They've actually made the two bleed. Is there anything that could have triggered them fighting?
Again thanks for the help. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

It could be boredom. It happens this time of year when the kids can't go outside and play so much and there aren't as many bugs to chase. Try to isolate the two until the sores heal if you can. Some people use pine tar or something to cover the area and make it undesirable for the attackers to take a bite. Another thing you can do is to make their food a bit more of a challenge by hanging cabbages from the cieling and letting them eat and play at the same time or use a suet cage full of frozen fish sticks hanging high enough that they have to jump for it. Tossing the occasional bag of leaves or clump of hay into the run or coop gives them something to sift through as long as you are not having moisture problems. I stock the coop with something for the morning when I close up the coop at night because that is the time of day I was having problems. Usually it's just odd leftovers from dinner in the suet cage for them to go after until I let them out of the coop to free range in the afternoon.
If you do nothing it could progress to the level of canibalism. Run a search on that for more information.
Good luck.

 

[chookchick]

Can you give us a little more info? How many hens do you have? How big are the coop and run? Do they free range at all? What is their feed and do they have it available at all times? Do they have roosts and nests and any areas where they can get away from the others?

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I would separate the two who are getting picked on especially if they are bleeding. The more they bleed the more they will get picked on.

 

[jmason]

Thanks everyone for your help. I didn't think of them being bored. We did things a little different this year...their outside run was in need of repair and where it was getting close to winter....we decide to make an addition but to close it all in for the winter. Then in the spring we'll add on an outside run. I hadn't thought that they would get bored out of their minds. I did let them outside some today. I also tried the suet trick so we'll see if that helps. And I have more than enough leaves that I can put in the coop for them.
What do the rest of you do with your flocks in the winter? I live in New Hampshire and it gets pretty cold here. Last year we were practically buried alive with snow. this year is the biggest my flock as been. So now I'm worried I'll have more problems with them fighting. My coop is divided into two sections: one flock has 8 birds and it's probably 12 ft by 6ft, the other flock is 9 birds and it 12ft by 7ft.
thanks again

 

[birdsofparadise]

Leah-yes I know I'm crazy :

It could be boredom. It happens this time of year when the kids can't go outside and play so much and there aren't as many bugs to chase. Try to isolate the two until the sores heal if you can. Some people use pine tar or something to cover the area and make it undesirable for the attackers to take a bite. Another thing you can do is to make their food a bit more of a challenge by hanging cabbages from the cieling and letting them eat and play at the same time or use a suet cage full of frozen fish sticks hanging high enough that they have to jump for it. Tossing the occasional bag of leaves or clump of hay into the run or coop gives them something to sift through as long as you are not having moisture problems. I stock the coop with something for the morning when I close up the coop at night because that is the time of day I was having problems. Usually it's just odd leftovers from dinner in the suet cage for them to go after until I let them out of the coop to free range in the afternoon.
If you do nothing it could progress to the level of canibalism. Run a search on that for more information.
Good luck.

I really agree. Pheasant chicks must be kept entertained or they will kill each other quickly. Chickens are no different. Even in the brooder, I supply branches to perch on, grasses to peck at, even a couple of kitten toys (plastic balls with bells inside - fun to watch them play soccer with them). Anything to focus their attention on an inanimate object and not each other.​