BrooklandBarn
Hatching
- Oct 12, 2017
- 3
- 3
- 9
First post here! We have chickens in our urban Brooklyn yard. After a bad racoon loss last year, we were left with 2 girls, now 18 months. They're both great layers (Austrolorp and Rhode Island Red) and feel like our pets.
Problem is, the Rhode Island Red pecks the other bird pretty badly. This has been going on for about 6 months. She only pecks the other bird's neck, and a bit of the head, and eats the feathers. The pecked hen doesn't bleed, and it doesn't seem to get worse or better. But she looks like a turkey vulture. We've tried everything - ointments, treats, blinders, protein uptake - but nothing has worked.
We recently raised 6 chicks, who are now 12 weeks. They're happy and living in a separate coop/run from the other girls. We plan to integrate the flocks once the chicks are bigger and less flighty, so pretty soon, and get rid of the old coop. The birds all have a lot of exposure, as the hens free range all day outside of the babies' coop and interact through the wire.
When we integrate, should we expect changes in the pecking due to a new pecking order? That is, could it resolve on its own? Will the babies peck the pecked hen, since she is red and exposed? Will the pecking hen peck the new girls? If we need to get rid of one of the older hens, which one should we choose?
We're considering building a third temporary coop, to keep the pecked hen in so that she can heal completely. We'd then integrate once her feathers are back in hopes that the other birds won't peck. Would that work?
Thanks for any advice you have. We love our birds and would like to keep them all peacefully in one coop if possible!!
Problem is, the Rhode Island Red pecks the other bird pretty badly. This has been going on for about 6 months. She only pecks the other bird's neck, and a bit of the head, and eats the feathers. The pecked hen doesn't bleed, and it doesn't seem to get worse or better. But she looks like a turkey vulture. We've tried everything - ointments, treats, blinders, protein uptake - but nothing has worked.
We recently raised 6 chicks, who are now 12 weeks. They're happy and living in a separate coop/run from the other girls. We plan to integrate the flocks once the chicks are bigger and less flighty, so pretty soon, and get rid of the old coop. The birds all have a lot of exposure, as the hens free range all day outside of the babies' coop and interact through the wire.
When we integrate, should we expect changes in the pecking due to a new pecking order? That is, could it resolve on its own? Will the babies peck the pecked hen, since she is red and exposed? Will the pecking hen peck the new girls? If we need to get rid of one of the older hens, which one should we choose?
We're considering building a third temporary coop, to keep the pecked hen in so that she can heal completely. We'd then integrate once her feathers are back in hopes that the other birds won't peck. Would that work?
Thanks for any advice you have. We love our birds and would like to keep them all peacefully in one coop if possible!!