Gaping Vent, Feather Loss, Yellow vent area, Death WARNING GRAPHIC PIC

[Horse Chick]

In researching vent pecking I found this string (although some of it is older) and would like some opinions. About a month or two ago, when the colder whether started to settle in, I started having an issue with one hen going around ripping feathers out of the others and eating them. I did research, increased their protein by increasing the BOSS they get with their corn and oat scratch and giving them mealworms every other day as well as their free choice organic layer pellet grain and treats such as cabbage (whole, hung from a peg), squash, broccoli, any veggie goody leftovers we have. We also increased their pen size from 8 x 12 to 8 x 16 and another 4 x 8 under the coop. The coop size is 4 x 8 and we have 9 hens, 4 barred rocks and 5 buff orpingtons (all born May 3, 2012). Well a barred rock is the aggressor and after treating two hens (both orps) for feather plucking in the base of the back near the tail and separating the nasty hen for 2 weeks we reintroduced her. The pen size increase was done in her absence. We also added heavy branches for climbing and I fill 3 treat balls a day with BOSS, oats, corn, grain mixture to keep them busy (in addition to the produce and mealworms).

Today I found a hen (a rock) with her vent area ripped up, all feathers gone, layers of skin gone and bleeding. I immediately took her out, washed with Betadine and applied Blu-Kote. She is acting fine, eating, drinking, so hoping she will heal ok. I also removed the nasty hen I suspect is at it again. This was all found at sunset when I was tucking them in for the night (they spent much of the day in the coop and under it as we got a foot of snow last night). The close quarters could have been the catalyst but I'm thinking of getting rid of this hen even though she is a good layer because if she is the only one really doing this I think it is the best solution. No one else looked damaged but I will be observing them multiple times tomorrow just to see if anyone else is pecking. Any advice is welcome, these girls are supposed to be a relaxing hobby for me and lately it is NOT! Help!

Coop and pen.



Offending hen

 

[Bulldogma]

Personally, I would cull such a hen. If you are not comfortable with culling, be sure you warn anyone you give her to that she is canabalistic. But what ever you do, don't put her back in with your others... other chickens can pick up bad habits.

 

[Horse Chick]

Thanks Bulldogma. I figured I gave her the chance the first time I re-introduced her and she blew it. I can't cull her myself but will definitely be upfront with whoever takes her as I don't want to see her pull this crap with other flocks. I'm just hoping the others will not follow suit. I'll be watching them all very closely and trying to keep them busy to avoid future issues.

 

[aoxa]

I think this hen would benefit with a free range situation. If it doesn't work out, then cull her (or whoever gets her should cull). That coop is far too small for 9 hens if you ask me. Especially in winter.

 

[Horse Chick]

Aoxa,
We can't free range all the time here and I don't really want to give her to someone else and have her do the same thing. She is being very aggressive with me now, practically attacking me as I feed and clean her now that she's separated. It's been decided, for $4 we're having her taken care of and she will provide us with a nice meal. I'm realizing as much as these hens are pets, they are livestock and I need to cull the bad one and this is what we're doing. We plan to build a bigger coop in the spring, but I must say with her out and the other 2 recuperating in the basement the remaining 6 hens are all calm and happy outside. We did originally plan the coop and pen for 6 but then I got extra chicks in case of roosters. 100% were hens and that's where our problems started. Though I'd swear this hen was a nasty rooster if she wasn't laying eggs. Very alpha, extremely, perhaps now that she has the taste for blood there is no hope for her.

You say the coop is too small for 9, it will be 8 now. How about the pen? Is 8x16 plus another 4x8 big enough for 8 hens? It's a total of 160 sq feet plus 32 sq feet in coop. We are thinking of building an 8x10 shed in the spring with two levels of living space, nesting boxes on 2nd level with roosts plus entire floor.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa,
We can't free range all the time here and I don't really want to give her to someone else and have her do the same thing. She is being very aggressive with me now, practically attacking me as I feed and clean her now that she's separated. It's been decided, for $4 we're having her taken care of and she will provide us with a nice meal. I'm realizing as much as these hens are pets, they are livestock and I need to cull the bad one and this is what we're doing. We plan to build a bigger coop in the spring, but I must say with her out and the other 2 recuperating in the basement the remaining 6 hens are all calm and happy outside. We did originally plan the coop and pen for 6 but then I got extra chicks in case of roosters. 100% were hens and that's where our problems started. Though I'd swear this hen was a nasty rooster if she wasn't laying eggs. Very alpha, extremely, perhaps now that she has the taste for blood there is no hope for her.

You say the coop is too small for 9, it will be 8 now. How about the pen? Is 8x16 plus another 4x8 big enough for 8 hens? It's a total of 160 sq feet plus 32 sq feet in coop. We are thinking of building an 8x10 shed in the spring with two levels of living space, nesting boxes on 2nd level with roosts plus entire floor.

Well if you don't mind culling her, than go for it. I would before I passed the issue on to someone else, though most people on here wouldn't. I was just suggesting that thinking you had her as a pet.

Right now your coop is tight for 8 hens. I have a brooder about the same size, and I wouldn't keep more than 5 bantams in it full time. Actually my brooder is 1/2 a foot shorter on the width, but it doesn't make much of a difference.

You'd probably have better luck if you had a rooster to break up the hens' squabbles. Mine do not allow the hens to excessively bully.

You have 6 in there now.. I'd say that would be fine. Try to keep the snow out of the run so they will go out. They can get pretty nasty when bored.

 

[Horse Chick]

Yeah I did more shoveling after the coop/pen pic was taken. They were walking all over in the pen today so that's good. They are pets, to a point. I'm starting to think of them more as livestock, they require a lot of thinking to keep them busy. Growing up we had 2 dozen chickens in about the same size pen but a bigger coop, 10x12 shed and they never did this. I remember them pecking off someone's tail but not to the point of blood. I can't have a rooster per town ordinance. I'm wondering if I should replace the wooden doors on the windows with plastic so they have some light before they go out. Not sure if that will play a role.

Both injured girls laid eggs today, such troopers. I have not put anything on the one that is just bald around the vent but the one that was really bitten up and is covered in Blu-Kote (as was the shell of the egg) I didn't keep her egg today.

 

[Horse Chick]

Just an update. The remaining 8 girls are all doing well. The 6 outside are not pecking one another at all, the 2 in the basement are recuperating very well. The offender is gone and we have peace again. Gave the girls outside oatmeal today and they loved it. Hoping the bully is gone and my remaining girls will continue to do well and be happy.