Help please

[SarahC86]

I have some white rock hens, about 1 year now, I started with 15 and when they where still young a bantium sebright got into their cage and after taking her chicks away she pecked at 2 of the behinds until they died. then in early fall we moved the remaining 10 into a nother pen with a laying box. Now they are doing the same thing and they have killed 4 of their fellow hens. I just found one tonight dieing in her laying box, her vent was all picked at and most of those feathers where gone and bloody. she was still alive we moved her but i doubt she will be in the morning. That the heck is happening with these white rocks.??

 

[SumatraBantam]

Well, this is very strange... A Sebright bantam killing large hens... It doesn't add up somehow. Is there any other variables? Are the White Rocks bantams as well?

 

[SarahC86]

When the first 2 or 3 where killed by the bantium seabright the white rocks where small just feathered out this happened in early summer. Now the white rocks are full gone and laying and they (the white rocks) have been killing each other. I am wondering if maybe they learned it or got the taste for blood they way dogs do sometimes??

 

[SumatraBantam]

I hate to say it, but it sounds like you need to "start over." Maybe you shouldn't let adult birds mix with immature ones. At all. It sounds like Sebrights are even dangerous to mix.

If I were you, I would isolate all the White Rocks by themselves, for awhile. No contact with any other birds. After a month, they might change their ways.

 

[justbugged]

1. Use Blu Kote on anything thing that shows up as red on any of your hens.
2. Are you feeding them enough food? (And cracked corn doesn't count except as candy) Layer rations at this point.
3. Do they have enough space. (To many birds in a space can lead to this behavior.)
4. Figure which hen is doing this and cull her. I could understand a banty being nasty with young chicks, but this isn't part of the problem now. If the banty is still with the white rocks, I am certain that nearly a year later, that the white rocks can more than hold their own in any battle.

 

[SarahC86]

I The white rocks are in a large pen by them self and no other hens only 6 now in a 10 by 6. They are fed layer and some cracked corn. I just don't understand why they are picking on each other like this

 

[SumatraBantam]

Also so try looking up online "chicken treats" that will distract them and keep them occupied. When chickens get bored, bad things happen.