Frustrated!!!!!!!!

[NatureLove11]

Ok so i have 16 hens in a coop with plenty of space plenty of food and water. Over the winter however they began picking at eachother. i thought it was due to boredom, so i gave them lots of games and things to do the picking still went on. then i found that they may not be getting enough protein so i started cooking eggs and yogurt for them....still nothing. Right now i have 9 split from the rest of the flock due to injury and im out of cages to seperate any others as of now. so my question is can i take the ones in the run out and seperate them because i cant pin point the ones who are picking since they all look nice and are the same breed and then put the injured ones in the run because they are fine with eachother when they're together. ive really done alot and im getting sick of it and really considering giving them up! so if anyone can help please do

 

[HomesteadGal]

Just how big an area do your chickens have to run in?

A flock that size needs a good size coop and hen yard as crowded chickens are likely to peck at each other a lot.I'm thinking they are aggressive because of being too crowded. They need space for the ones at the bottom of the pecking order to escape the dominate birds. Mine were picking a bit over the past few weeks and I think it is because a few are wanting to brood and are becoming more aggressive over the nests. I guess even hens need their own personal space to be happy.

I scattered a bale of staw in my hen yard as it was very muddy from all the rain we've been getting. My hens are much happier as they have something to scratch through now. Chickens must scratch...it's a chicken law.

I throw out food scraps and they delight in "scratching them up" in the straw. They actually FLY out of the coop and start scratching the second their feet hit the ground!

Last year they were free range and I had NO PECKING PROBLEMS. My layers will be in chicken tractor this year, so I don't have to hunt their eggs every day.

 

[NatureLove11]

thanks very much

maybe i am underestimating the space so ill build them something bigger in the mean time ill just keep giving them things to do!

 

[Sorin]

I'm curious, you said it was all one breed doing the picking, what breed are they?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Can you tell us the measurements of your current setup? Sometimes more space may or may not solve the problem once fighting has already broken out in a flock , they may have to stay separated in two separate flocks.

In the meantime if you can get a bale of alfalfa hay throw a flake or two in there every few days. They love tearing it up and they love all the little leaves which are also a great source of protein and calcium. Won't stop the problem but it will give them something to do and provide extra nutrients.

Good luck, hope you are able to work it out.