Hens fighting, got bloody. What to do.

PoppySeedy

Songster
May 14, 2021
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My hens have been squabbling for a little while now. My cuckoo maran pecks out feathers for fun (not in an aggressive way), my copper maran sometimes pecks at the cuckoo maran and recently my bluebell has gotten pretty agro with my copper maran.
Today I noticed my copper maran must've been pecked pretty hard by the bluebell and she got a bit bloody at the base of her tail, she's looking a bit scrappy at the moment (and I've got a saddle on her right now) but I'm thinking we might have to quarantine her until she grows her feathers back.
The only problem us when the other 2 hens are left with each other the cuckoo maran persistently pecks out the bluebells feathers.
I have 3 hens and a rooster as we only had space for 4 chicks, but I think one of the issues may be the lack of hens, meaning they all turn on each other? However I'm not too sure since I'm a first time chicken owner.
An idea im having right now to sort this issue is to separate the copper maran so she can heal, put chicken blinders on the cuckoo maran and hope that when I reintroduce the copper maran my bluebell won't pick on her anymore.
Is this a good plan?
I dont know if we can immediately just get more hens due to the lack of space and my parents unwillingness to help me create more space, but what are your opinions?
 
Are you letting your chickens out to free range every day? Pecking occurs if they are overcrowded, boredom if they don’t get out to roam around and get away from each other, too little (less than 16%) protein in the diet, too much light in the coop, and some breeds may be more aggressive. Can you post a picture of your coop and facilities? I would try some pine tar on feather picked areas to discourage pecking. If you separate a hen, she is going to be attacked when you bring her back. If you have to separate, a wire dog crate can be a good way to leave her with the flock, but protected. If you feel that your cockerel is the problem over-mating, you might want to separate him for awhile.
 
I'm sorry you are experiencing this. I don't have much to offer except more space and/or boredom busters. I cut a cabbage in half or quarters along with bunches of kale, collards, or any other greens that look fresh at the store and hang in separate places spread throughout their coop and run. It redirects pecking and keeps them occupied during times of confinement. It always works well for us. Make sure they have plenty of grit available. Good luck!

However, I must comment on your use of the word "agro". I had a huge mastiff (think 240#) whose name was Agro 25 years ago. No one understood his name and just looked at me funny insisting I made up the word. In reality, he was a huge gentle soul. What a wonderful memory to pop up for me today. Thank you 💜
 

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