Hens aggressive after chicks hatched

[BanoOmg]

I just finished up an addition to my run today

A big part of why I built the addition was because some of the hens have become pretty aggressive. I'm assuming it's due to the broody hatching some new chicks, and they lost space to a defensive mama hen.

A Buff Orpington and a Sapphire Gem are being triple-teamed by the other hens. The girls already went back to being jerks, so I gotta figure out what to do about it.

I'm going to clutter up the new space a bit more, and put food and water in there.

I have 6 hens and 6 chicks total. I think three chicks are cockerels, and I won't be keeping them. They're not even a week old yet, but I used my novice eyes and guessed based on wing tips and head spots for the Dominiques. I'll be lucky to end up with 9 hens, methinks.

I'll go out and measure run dimensions later. I know that I had no behavioral problems when I had 8 hens, and I built the run to fit 10 comfortably, based on forum recommendations.

I'm just buuuuuumed out! Stop fighting!!!

 

[azygous]

Trying to stop flock conflicts is about as fruitful as stopping fighting among young human siblings. Likewise, chicken conflicts depend on individual temperaments as well as environmental factors. You can increase space and make it more interesting, but if a chicken is "born to rumble", it's very difficult to find an adequate solution. I've resorted to pinless peepers with mixed success.

Just know you are not alone.

 

[BanoOmg]

Main run is 8' x 14'

New addition is 7'5" x 8'1"

The only new additions to the flock are 6 chicks. I have had these hens since they were chicks and have only had the aggression since about May 3rd.

 

[JedJackson]

Main run is 8' x 14'

New addition is 7'5" x 8'1"

The only new additions to the flock are 6 chicks. I have had these hens since they were chicks and have only had the aggression since about May 3rd.

It's recommended to have 10 Square feet of run space per birds, and you are over 170, so you are okay if you go by the books.

For now, I would try putting in some branches, rocks, barrels, old ladders or whatever you have handy to give the less aggressive birds places to hide. It would also be wise to have at least one extra feeding/watering station. Otherwise, some birds may not get enough.

Hopefully things will even out in time, but if not, you may have to consider keeping them in separate quarters, or selling some of your birds.

 

[BanoOmg]

I'm planning on cluttering up the new addition to the coop tomorrow morning. I tried to put an old wooden headboard in there today, but it fell apart when I tried to move it, so that's out. I also need to buy some materials to make another of aart's fantastic waste-free feeders. Maybe another nipple waterer, but I have some extra gravity fed ones in there now.

In the old run, I have a dog kennel raised on some concrete blocks. I've used it as a separate pen for the younger birds when I got them (4 weeks difference between youngest and oldest), quarantine for a past sick hen, a broody jail when I needed to break one, and a broody hatchery most recently. Mama hen is still using it at night for her and the chicks, and there is food and water in there. The door is secured open.

The Buff Orpington was in there when I went out to take measurements, and got cornered and attacked by two hens. So frustrating! She is usually in top of the kennel (plywood set on top), on the roost, or on top of the nest box in the kennel. She freaks out whenever she comes down, and hens pile on and attack.

There's a pallet leaned against that, and a piece of plywood under the raised coop to block line of sight.

I'll take pics tomorrow, and add some more clutter.

Thanks for the help, advice, and sense of community

 

[JedJackson]

I'm planning on cluttering up the new addition to the coop tomorrow morning. I tried to put an old wooden headboard in there today, but it fell apart when I tried to move it, so that's out. I also need to buy some materials to make another of aart's fantastic waste-free feeders. Maybe another nipple waterer, but I have some extra gravity fed ones in there now.

In the old run, I have a dog kennel raised on some concrete blocks. I've used it as a separate pen for the younger birds when I got them (4 weeks difference between youngest and oldest), quarantine for a past sick hen, a broody jail when I needed to break one, and a broody hatchery most recently. Mama hen is still using it at night for her and the chicks, and there is food and water in there. The door is secured open.

The Buff Orpington was in there when I went out to take measurements, and got cornered and attacked by two hens. So frustrating! She is usually in top of the kennel (plywood set on top), on the roost, or on top of the nest box in the kennel. She freaks out whenever she comes down, and hens pile on and attack.

There's a pallet leaned against that, and a piece of plywood under the raised coop to block line of sight.

I'll take pics tomorrow, and add some more clutter.

Thanks for the help, advice, and sense of community

How long has the buff Orpington been in the flock?

 

[BanoOmg]

How long has the buff Orpington been in the flock?

Since the flock went into the coop. I don't remember the exact date, but it was somewhere around March 1, 2021.

 

[JedJackson]

Since the flock went into the coop. I don't remember the exact date, but it was somewhere around March 1, 2021.

Odd that they would still be having trouble after so long. If things don't even out you might have to think about separating or selling some of the flock.

 

[BanoOmg]

I've put some new clutter in the new part of the run.



Plywood to break line of sight. A broken plant pot to shade a waterer and kinda block sight from the other part of the run.

Here are a couple shots of the clutterage in the old part of the run:

 

[BanoOmg]

I made and hung an additional bucket waterer (vertical nipples this time) and another of aart's FANTASTIC waste-free feeders so both sections of the run have food and water. I also put up a roost on that plywood I secured to break line of sight.

Things seemed to have calmed down, but that may be just because I'm not out there so much.

Either way, I can block the opening if I need to separate some hens.