hens killing eachother

[flight]

thats what I was thinking about doing but I have had to make another coop and run for my RI and If I ask my husband to make me one more thing for my chickens I think we will have issues

 

[flight]

thats what I was thinking about doing but I have had to make another coop and run for my RI and If I ask my husband to make me one more thing for my chickens I think we will have issues

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

3 X3 doesnt seem to be very big for 7 birds. I have 2 that are in a 4 x 4 and they don't seem to have much room. Have you thought about freefeeding them maybe they arent getting enough to eat.

 

[flight]

the coop and the run are 6x6 just the coop is a 3x3 do you think that is too small if so I can maybe make the run bigger.

 

[basicliving]

I'm having a picking issue as well, so I am absolutely no one to give advise in this situation, but something you said really stood out to me.

You mentioned that if you feed them treats or something that takes time to eat, you don't find dead birds. Maybe if you free feed them, they will eat when they are bored? I free feed mine, and it seems when they get bored they make a big game of knocking food out of the dish - and then scratching around on the ground to find and eat it.

Just a thought. I wish you the best of luck. I know how frustrating things like this can be.

Penny

 

[cajunlizz]

6 months old ? they should be laying and if they are , they need to be on laying pellets .


and 3x3 coop is kinda small

if you enlarge the coop , just as soon enlarge the run too .....


Sounds like its from being over crowded and when they are , they get bored and thats when they pick at one another .

 

[bargain]

Extra treats - like popcorn (no salt added)

and also hanging fat back - which is a piece of bacon like product if you cannot find fat back (it's a Southern thing) hang thick bacon helps. THey would go hit on the fatback rather than pick on each other.

Anything to destract them and satisfy their pecking.... Hanging the fatback helped the most.

Best wishes

 

[KrisRose]

Your coop and run are too small. If there are no other options then you have to give them something to do. Other posters mention free range and/or giving them a treat they have to work at to get a good bite off.
Also, switch to layer feed.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

It sounds like they might be competing for the food? If you feed them twice a day do you mean you may miss a day of that? or miss an extra treat trip? I think they might benefit from a large feeder that you fill every couple of days so it's always available. If they fight at the feeder, perhaps you could put another one across the coop. Just my thoughts..

 

[justusnak]

Im sorry to hear of your losses...BUT.... 3x3 is only big enough for 3 birds!! They need at LEAST 4 sq ft per bird....and a 3x3 run!?? They need 10 sq ft per bird for the run. The fact that they are "hollowing out the chicken" means they are HUNGRY!! They have turned to cannibalism. FEED THOSE CHICKENS! They should have a dish in there FULL at all times. And, a water dish in there FULL AT ALL TIMES! Give em more room, and more feed...and your problem should be solved.