hens dying from being pecked

[BOrion]

I just found another hen about dead from being pecked. Losing another one from being pecked two weeks ago. I have 16 hens and one rooster. They free range all day and have a nice big coop and fenced run for the nighttime. Why is this happening? I'm finding deep holes around the head, ears and eyes. All were raised together and are the same age, about 8 months old.
Please help. I am a first time chicken owner.

 

[mickey328]

Sorry for your loss Do you know who's doing the pecking? It might be worth separating the violent one.

 

[BOrion]

I don't, and I spend a lot of time out there. I'm going again to try an figure out who's doing the dirty deed. Any suggestions on how I can figure that out? I'm just sick to death about this. didn't know I would get so attached to the chickens.

 

[mickey328]

I hear that...it's amazing how they can jut wriggle their way into your heart, isn't it? Perhaps some of the more experienced folk have some ideas...the only thing I can come up with is to watch...even put a video cam somewhere. You could then at least look for dominant behaviour...see who roosts the highest, who chases the others from food...stuff like that.

 

[loanwizard]

I just found another hen about dead from being pecked. Losing another one from being pecked two weeks ago. I have 16 hens and one rooster. They free range all day and have a nice big coop and fenced run for the nighttime. Why is this happening? I'm finding deep holes around the head, ears and eyes. All were raised together and are the same age, about 8 months old.
Please help. I am a first time chicken owner.

Some pictures would help. 1st thing to do is lock them up for a few days and not let them free range. If there are any dead, then the culprit is in the flock and you will need to separate them into 4's til you know if it is the rooster or another hen. Sounds like it could be a dog or coon bite or outside critter. If it were the chickens themselves, it would be more likely that it happen before you let them out in the morning. Free range birds can run away from another chicken, not so much a hawk, owl, fox, weasel, coon, possum, dog, cat, rat, etc....

 

[BOrion]

You know, that's an interesting idea. They are actually in their secured run from the time they get up until I get up to let them out. Usually only about 30 min. to an hour after sunrise. That's when this must have happened. And, a couple of days ago, when I was administering treatment to my first one that was injured, there were two loose in the segregation area and I caught one of my buff orpington's picking on one of my buckeye's, perhaps the one I found injured this morning. I might have identified the bully but am not sure what to do now. I just don't have any more segregated areas. Should I try putting her in a large dog crate? But then what? I didn't realize raising chicken's was so complicated and heart breaking.

 

[BOrion]

I hear that...it's amazing how they can jut wriggle their way into your heart, isn't it? Perhaps some of the more experienced folk have some ideas...the only thing I can come up with is to watch...even put a video cam somewhere. You could then at least look for dominant behaviour...see who roosts the highest, who chases the others from food...stuff like that.

Yes, my heart is just breaking over my near dead ones. I wonder why I keep getting critters when it's so hard on my heart. Nice to know I'm not the only silly one out there. Neither one of my injured is eating or drinking, so I guess it's just a matter of time.

 

[loanwizard]

Usually there is a definitive pecking order within a flock. I have somewhere around 100 birds. I haven't raised chickens for generations but have an idea of how they operate. I have been blessed that my new bird introductions have been largely uneventful with no blood. If you think the Buff is the bully, put her in a dog box for a couple of days and watch. If no more damage occurs, get rid of the bully. Sell her, give her away, eat her. IMHO you can't train it out of her. Of course, she might be seeing something you don't see, like sickness in the ones she is attacking and might be doing you a favor. Without being there it is hard to tell.

 

[loanwizard]

If they refuse to eat or drink and you think the writing is on the wall... the kindest thing you can do is kill them and not let them suffer.

I love animals enough to do that if necessary.

 

[soler]

The ones that are injured and have visible red wounds will attract pecking from the other ones - you should put some "pick no more" lotion on the wounds, and/or isolate the pecked birds to recover. I also think it's well possible you have something else attacking the flock, if you haven't observed violent behavior (other than on already injured birds) given you are out there a lot.

For instance, one of my girls was attacked by a hawk a few weeks back, and she had pecks on her face and head like you described, but she got away in time. There were also a bunch of feathers on the ground and she had a couple of bites on her thigh. Your birds also free range - do you have hawks in your area?

Make sure you disinfect the cuts with hydrogen peroxide or iodine solution (like betadine, which is safe if it goes in the eye as well), and use an antibiotic cream like neosporin to speed up healing and prevent infection.