My goodness the pecking! Need help figuring this out...

[bwebster]

The pecking continues.... I have 5 barred rocks, and all seem to be pecking each other. I was just watching them and at least 3 out of the 5 were getting after it. The original coop I had was way too small, so I built them a new one. Nothing changed. Today I noticed its actually worse than ever, with one having an open wound. I treated the wound, and applied some 'no-pecking' lotion I got from TSC to the other barebutts. I don't have it next to me, and I forget the name, but it's a purple lotion that kinda smells like A&D and comes in a brown little bottle. This is my first attempt at using it. I did see the main agitator go near a butt with the lotion and turn away, so maybe that will help.


So far I've built them a new coop (link below to coop build because I know people will ask to see the coop lol), put pinless peepers on (they learned to peck with the glasses) and now trying this lotion.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chronicles-of-a-new-coop.1415486/page-2#post-23691752



Any ideas here? Should I wait it out with this purple goop and see? The coop is 6x8, and the run is 6x9. I feed them DuMor 16% layer crumble, and they have oyster shell available. I just very recently added the oyster shell, because a friend of mine told me it's really only needed when there are calcium issues, but I don't know if that's true or not. So now they have it. I did read somewhere that pecking may also be the hens trying to get some protein from the feathers.

Next step is making a couple dinner, but I'm not convinced the survivors will not just continue the behavior because I feel it is habitual now. I plan to extend their run in spring, because now the ground is frozen pretty solid and will be tough to get posts in.

Thanks for any help. If I do eat two, it will be disappointing because the egg production we get now is just enough for the family.

 

[igorsMistress]

I would remove the main agitator for a few days and see if that helps, then bring her back after a week or so. Maybe her and her main henchman. Add some stuff that the picked on can hide behind. Chairs, a tree stump, tables, whatever but be sure you don’t create dead ends so the chasee can get away. Out of sight out of mind and you need to provide more than one waterer and feeder. Also, I’m not good at judging size without in being in the space, but that space doesn’t look big enough for five chickens when they’re outside. It may not have been your coop that was too small but your run space that was. A coop is usually for roosting and laying eggs, my flock spent the day outside.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We have checked, and didn't find anything. We have one fully feathered bird, and then the rest have varying degrees of bare spots above the tails as you ride down the pecking order. I'm afraid the problem is now a habit, and we will be putting 3 in the freezer, keeping the two we never see pecking. We have 4 EEs in the basement going outside next weekend. Basically starting all over. Our new set up has 48 sqft in the coop and a little over 100 sqft outside, so hopefully all works out.

Hope that fixes it. Sometimes a bad habit just becomes impossible to break.

 

[aart]

I have two other waterers, but only one of the three is heated

Take two of them in at night, back out during the day.

 

[bwebster]

UPDATE:

12' run extension complete. Total run is now 18 x 5.5. Coop is 6x8. I hope this helps.

 

[bwebster]

This could become a whole new drama.
Best of cLuck!

Haha. You've been following all of the dramas @aart! Honestly I'm not super optimistic. Worst case we have 5 in the freezer. I am going to use the little red coop and give the young'ns a small section of run and slowly introduce.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yea I hope this works also. The three main offenders will be permanently taken away. Do you think the new 4, plus the 2 docile birds will form a new pecking order without excessive pecking? Is that a thing? We felt terrible that this all unfolded the way it did. Live and learn I suppose.

Impossible to know until they're all together. But you have a decent amount of space for them now so I don't see why things wouldn't work out. Let's hope for a best case scenario, where the younger ones integrate in without too much issue, and you end up with a pretty peaceful flock.

 

[bwebster]

Quick update:

We went ahead and put the three in the freezer, and the two remaining are getting along great. It was pretty neat to see that within 30 minutes of being on their own, the two were already working out the new order. I have not seen any pecking between them. They both have Blu-Kote on their bald spots and have pin feathers coming in very nicely.

The 4 EE pullets are outside in their own coop, with a divider in the shared run. I have removed the divider a few times and the new boss hen definitely let the young ones know what was up. Nothing violent, just a stern peck here and a wing pull there. The other old girl couldn't care less about them. We've been gradually increasing the amount of interaction time and hopefully in the next week or so the divider will be taken out.


Thank you to everyone for the advice. We've learned a lot and, fingers crossed, this all works out. So far so good.

 

[bwebster]

Have you checked for mites and lice?

I got some contaminated straw (infested).

I had to dust the flock, and exterminate the coops.

Removed all feeders, bedding etc..stripped then bombed the coops.

That was my last recourse.

I had hen completely bald.

It seemed to help.

No more problems.

We have checked, and didn't find anything. We have one fully feathered bird, and then the rest have varying degrees of bare spots above the tails as you ride down the pecking order. I'm afraid the problem is now a habit, and we will be putting 3 in the freezer, keeping the two we never see pecking. We have 4 EEs in the basement going outside next weekend. Basically starting all over. Our new set up has 48 sqft in the coop and a little over 100 sqft outside, so hopefully all works out.

 

[Mellowmalt]

well said rosemary. Don't let them pick up bad habits, trust me teaching a chicken is hard.
You can remove the chicken, it won't teach it jack. And they have a surprisingly good memory, remove a chicken and it will remember its flock and the pecking order for weeks.
So to me removing a chicken is just placing the problem out of sight out of mind, but that doesn't fix it.
The coop looks great now, just shame they got so bored that they picked up this bad habit waiting