Help! My hens are pecking each other!

[ADKChickenChick]

Hi all,

As the weather warms up, I've been noticing my hens being more aggressive than usual. Within last two days I have had a bloody vent, a rooster with a pecked bloody toe, and another hen with feather loss. My hens have just started laying...all have been together since chicks. They have a large spacious coop with an outdoor run. They are fed grains twice per day with supplements of grit, oyster shell, BOSS, and the occasional household treats. During the brutal winter there were a handful of days that were just too cold to let them outside...even being confined I didn't have the problems I'm all of a sudden having now.

This morning I separated my gentle Roo and treated him with Neosporan and Blu-Kote. I have also applied Blu-Kote to the hen with vent pecking and the one with a bare bottom. Both are doing very well and aren't getting bothered today. I went and stood in the coop for about 30 minutes a bit ago and several hens walk around just looking for someone to peck. They turn their heads and look under every hen until they find something that interests them. A few hens fight back...others just run. I have Light Brahmas, Barred Rocks, Rhode Islands, and Easter Eggers. The Reds seem to be he most aggressive...but all except the Easters are pecking. I've done some reading and have read lack of calcium or protein...but my hens get corn, grains, and BOSS free choice. What could the problem be all of a sudden?

 

[Judy]

You aren't the first person to complain fo these Reds being aggressive. When there is a single bully, the usual suggestin is to remove that bird from the flock and keep it out of sight or earshot for a week or so, then reintroduce it, because at that pont the bird should reenter the flock as a strangeer, at the bottom of the pecking order, or at least lower. Perhaps you can identify only a few who could be removed for a while.

I don't see a lot of protein in what you are feeding them, and no source of animal protein. I'd recommend you switch to a game bird feed, at least for a while, because it is nutritinoally balanced and higher in protein than layer or flock raiser usually is. The only other thing they should need is oyster shell, for the calcium, and grit; I would offer these separately from the feed. I'd also find a source of animal protein, at least for a while, such as mealworms. Now, I am no nutritionist and won't alledge that all feeds are well balanced diets -- but they do contain sources of vitamins and minerals.

The two reasons usually suggested for pecking / feather picking is low protein and lack of enough space. I don't think we know all there is to know about pecking, though. Here are a couple of discussions of pecking:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/back-to-basic-living-feather-picking-plucking-and-cannibalism

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking/0_20

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Thanks, Judy! I didn't realize the difference between the proteins. Other than meal worms, what would be some other 'animal protein' options?

I knew this wasn't an uncommon problem...but with my chickens just starting within the last 2-3 days, I didn't know what could be causing this behavior so suddenly. It's almost like our looong bout of frigid winter weather ended and this problem began. I've heard of a lack of protein in their diet could lead to feather pecking/eating, but is this what is also leading to the skin and toe pecking?

Their haven't been any new wounds or injuries since this morning...hoping to nip this issue before I have a major problem.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chickens are called aggressive, but this is often merely their desperate attempts are survival and normalcy. It isn't normal for a bird to be confined as tightly as we tend to keep them in little coops and tiny runs. The sheer boredom works against their innate desire to search, scratch and find. While omnivores, they are biologically designed to survive on whatever, but they crave animal protein. Fish, worms, insects, bugs, mice, grubs when found set off a feeding frenzy. Such items get devoured while seeds and store bought pellets are ho hum, OK, what they really what is animal based proteins. If their inner desires grow strong enough, they'll begin cannibalizing each other in hopes that the winner survives. They have no moral concerns about cannibalism.

It is getting increasingly difficult to find these proteins and other animal materials in commercial feed. Some feed stores still sell a gamebird starter or a turkey starter with animal protein, but such finds are becoming rarer.

Supplements include nursing milk substitutes for orphan lambs. Mix a super concentrated quart and serve some over their feed as a damp mush. They'll love it. Floating fish food often sold at feed stores for tossing into ponds, but it is high in animal protein. Of course, anything one can find from a friendly butcher shop of meat cutter would be a great bonus.

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Thanks, Fred...awesome post! What a great way to look at it. I just find myself getting easily frustrated...they are all my babies and I hate to see them hurt OR hurting each other. If supplementing with meat scraps is okay, I can do that until I can get to the city to TSC for game bird feed. My husband is an avid hunter/fisherman and I can get scraps and cutting easily. I'll start giving them some until the bugs come out of winter hiding. How often should I feed...daily?

 

[Fred's Hens]

As far as we've researched, at least in our area, TSC has nothing by way of poultry feed, any longer, with animal protein or products. Zip. Even the Gamebird is vegetarian.

They do sell the lamb milk, the floating fish feed though.

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Okay great! Hmm. Wonder where I could find wild game feed around me? I'll have to do some research. Until them I'll continue with the scraps and cuttings. Ugh...spring can't come fast enough here in the mountains!

 

[Fred's Hens]

You may be able to find a turkey or gamebird starter with animal protein. Shrug. The times in which we live.

But the lamb milk replacement and floating fish feed are still readily available at TSC.

 

[ADKChickenChick]

Great, Fred...I'll stop in. Seem less "aggressive" for lack of a better word since their beef treats. Is that even possible?!

 

[superdeluxe]

Is there anyway they can free range? They would get insect/grub protein