Hey there,
I have 4 hens: 1 rhode island red, 2 black australorps, and 1 barred rock. They are all about 6 months old, and just started laying kind of sporadically last week (we get 2 eggs on the same day, then no more for 4 or 5 days, then 2 more). They live in a coop that is 3' x 4' with a perch going crossways (3'), their nestbox is situated at about the same height with the feeder hanging underneath (though they aren't laying in the nestbox... but thats not important at the moment, and i've read about how to go about correcting this problem so I'll do that soon). There is a large window in the coop, and more than adequate ventilation. They have access to a run which is 3' x 6', which has a 3' perch in it. We move the coop and run to new grass every 4 or so days, and until lately we've been keeping the waterer outside, but have now put it inside because of freezing temperatures at night. I started supplemental lighting about a month ago, to bring the daylight hours to 14 total. I'm using a 13W compact fluorescent bulb at the moment.
My husband has been sick with a flu for the past few days, so to be honest I haven't spent any time at all with the hens in a few days- just fed and watered them and checked for eggs. But this morning I went out to feed, water, check for eggs, and move the coop, and there was blood splattered on the inside walls of the coop (it is painted white, so it was VERY obvious and quite disturbing!). I let the hens out (we live in town, but I often let them roam around the yard), and checked them out. The 2 blacks are bleeding from their combs, which look to be really pecked... one of the hens is missing at least 1/3 or more of her comb, and there is black dried blood all around it. I don't know who is pecking who, but the RIR and the BR look fine.
I have read that hens can get aggressive when they first start to lay, and that sometimes the introduction of lighting can also cause/increase pecking. The coops is insulated to R-10, and the nights haven't been that cold yet (certainly no lower than -5'C, I'm not exactly sure), so I don't think it started with frostbite. When I went into the coop this morning, their water had been tipped over- could they have been fighting over that? Or maybe the coop is feeling more crowded since the waterer is now taking up floor space, and it is a small coop to begin with? Maybe it is just the PMS that comes with the start of laying?
I have been searching around here to see what to do. We don't have a shed or garage or anything, so separating them is going to be incredibly difficult at best (unless we locked the injured hen in the coop, and made the others stay out in the run?). I've read about using vaseline/blue-kote or similar things to protect the injured combs, dye them to a different colour, or make them taste bad- I don't know if these are availabel in my town but I'll call around this morning. I can give them some high-protein treats too. But is there anything else I can do? I don't want to lose these girls, they are more pets than fowl, if you know what I mean. I think maybe the small coop size has a lot to do with this
Although they sometimes puff up their neck feathers and jump around a bit when I first let them out to roam the yard (they dont do this in the coop or run), they haven't really been aggressive to each other before.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give details in case they were helpful. I'll go take a few pics of the coop and injured birds and post them ASAP. Any advice is greatly greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Andrea
I have 4 hens: 1 rhode island red, 2 black australorps, and 1 barred rock. They are all about 6 months old, and just started laying kind of sporadically last week (we get 2 eggs on the same day, then no more for 4 or 5 days, then 2 more). They live in a coop that is 3' x 4' with a perch going crossways (3'), their nestbox is situated at about the same height with the feeder hanging underneath (though they aren't laying in the nestbox... but thats not important at the moment, and i've read about how to go about correcting this problem so I'll do that soon). There is a large window in the coop, and more than adequate ventilation. They have access to a run which is 3' x 6', which has a 3' perch in it. We move the coop and run to new grass every 4 or so days, and until lately we've been keeping the waterer outside, but have now put it inside because of freezing temperatures at night. I started supplemental lighting about a month ago, to bring the daylight hours to 14 total. I'm using a 13W compact fluorescent bulb at the moment.
My husband has been sick with a flu for the past few days, so to be honest I haven't spent any time at all with the hens in a few days- just fed and watered them and checked for eggs. But this morning I went out to feed, water, check for eggs, and move the coop, and there was blood splattered on the inside walls of the coop (it is painted white, so it was VERY obvious and quite disturbing!). I let the hens out (we live in town, but I often let them roam around the yard), and checked them out. The 2 blacks are bleeding from their combs, which look to be really pecked... one of the hens is missing at least 1/3 or more of her comb, and there is black dried blood all around it. I don't know who is pecking who, but the RIR and the BR look fine.
I have read that hens can get aggressive when they first start to lay, and that sometimes the introduction of lighting can also cause/increase pecking. The coops is insulated to R-10, and the nights haven't been that cold yet (certainly no lower than -5'C, I'm not exactly sure), so I don't think it started with frostbite. When I went into the coop this morning, their water had been tipped over- could they have been fighting over that? Or maybe the coop is feeling more crowded since the waterer is now taking up floor space, and it is a small coop to begin with? Maybe it is just the PMS that comes with the start of laying?
I have been searching around here to see what to do. We don't have a shed or garage or anything, so separating them is going to be incredibly difficult at best (unless we locked the injured hen in the coop, and made the others stay out in the run?). I've read about using vaseline/blue-kote or similar things to protect the injured combs, dye them to a different colour, or make them taste bad- I don't know if these are availabel in my town but I'll call around this morning. I can give them some high-protein treats too. But is there anything else I can do? I don't want to lose these girls, they are more pets than fowl, if you know what I mean. I think maybe the small coop size has a lot to do with this
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give details in case they were helpful. I'll go take a few pics of the coop and injured birds and post them ASAP. Any advice is greatly greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Andrea
