Hens: bullying & pecking

[ddennis06]

Perhaps get something or a few things to keep them occupied. If they get bored, they will pick. Like hang veggies like squash up for them. They love that. And a scratch block keeps them occupied also. I got the veggie hangers at Amazon, they are quite handy and inexpensive.

Thank you - I did put up a veggies feeder this morning - fingers crossed thatll give them something else to peck at

 

[rosemarythyme]

My prefab coop conversion write up:

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/