hens killing eachother

[KrisRose]

Yep- missed that. Justusnak and Brahampooter are right- feed available at all times.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yep I would give them more room, cut back on scratch( it seems too much corn depletes the protein absorbing of feed) up the layer pellets and find a "range block" it is a hard pressed block of seeds and feed you can sometimes find at a feed store or you might make one yourself. That way they have to work at the food and it satisfies their need to forage and peck. It is about the size of a horse salt block.

 

[cajunlizz]

I always give treats about mid afternoon , and FEED VERY HEAVY around 5:00 PM which carries them over thru the whole next day .

Plenty of water always ......

I never put feed in the coop ONLY in the run area ....


BUT they have feed available to them 24/7 this way .

The coop is only used to lay and for roosting at night . they hav e full access 24/7 to coop and run

 

[mikarod]

Posted in wrong topic...sorry!

 

[flight]

They never eat all of there food and by going and feeding them twice a day I make sure of that so they are not hungry. The treats are really what they like. I think the space is the issue and I am solving that today. Thanks for the bacon tip that I think will help. When I do put the treats out they do not fight over them so I don't think it is fighting over food that starts it. I even stayed and waited to see if they were going to pick a fight after I droped treats this morn. and no one did so I am going to enlarge the enclosure today.

Thanks

 

[hoosiergal]

sorry for the problems. I agree that if the hens are 6 mo. and should be laying they need some laying mash. It is more nutritional than scratch and grower food for their age.
I have had them to peck and fight in close quarters also.

Hope you get the problem solved.

 

[orcasislandchickens]

Birds have extremely high metabolic rates, they do not eat 2 or 3 meals a day like we do or pet dogs do. They pick and feed all the time, it is what they have to do. They do not need to empty the feed dish, they will not overeat. Their bodies need tremendous amounts of energy to operate. Birds and fowl should have feed and water available durring all waking hours. PERIOD. Not twice a day. They will still appreciate the treats you bring, and enjoy eating extra tidbits you provide. Yes you need a bigger coop, yes you need a bigger run, but please allow them to eat their regular food any time, as much and as often as they wish.

Now that they are canibalistic they may be predisposed to dine on chicken (each other)whenever one is small or weak. You can see how it goes with more readily available food and more space, but you may just have to stew these, and start over.

 

[mypicklebird]

As harsh as it sounds, you need to sit out there, and identify the instigator cannibal and get rid of/cull/eat whatever the hen. If you are lucky, you just have one instigator.

I agree you need a feeder that has food available at all times of the day that they are awake. If they are 6mo old, get them off of the baby food and onto layer food. Chickens if given adequate space and enough nutritious food almost never go cannibal. This is a problem of overcrowded, stressed and/or nutritionally deficient birds.

Chickens eat a little bit every few minutes, they do not gorge except right before they go to roost, or if you offer something extra tasty.

Do not hope to cure her/them, it is a horrible habit, and given the opportunity- she/they will do it again. They pick at the softest, least protected part (the vent) and eat the unfortunate bird alive. The makings of a horror movie.

Honestly, unless you really are attached to these birds- I would just cull and start over with a bigger and better set- up. Or likely you will keep losing birds until you have one happy cannibal left- who will try to do this to whomever you try to introduce.

 

[flight]

I have made them a bigger coop and run it is a 16x8 (hope that is big enough) I also made them a feeder the 40lb one (out of a 5gal bucket) they are not laying yet but I am giving them laying pellets now. I have not had any of them killed today and hope that this solves my problem if not I guess they will be stew.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Once blood is produced from fighting, plucking, picking or wathever, the other birds will pick at them until they are DEAD. This is just a fact of life with a flock of chickens or even two in the same encloser. You MUST seperate the bloodied ones in to SEPARATE cages until they are healed. Even then, the bare spots from healing are enough to get the other ones picking at them agian. Strange as it is, it is true.