- Aug 2, 2013
- 13
- 0
- 22
I bought 3 chicks to replenish my flock, which had gotten down to 4 birds. But tragically, one died of an umbilical cord abscess. Then my husband accidentally let his dog out, who killed one and bit the other. I was able to save the last chick, periodically glaring at my husband. She has a slight limp, and is very bonded with people. She follows my 3 year old son around.
But my flock adamantly will not accept a lone hen. They chase and peck her, and eventually she crouches in a corner with her head down and sits there while they draw blood from the back of her neck. She is a devoted pacifist, and won't even flap her wings at her persecutors. One time they pecked a bad wound on her neck. I've only been able to prevent further bloodshed by keeping an eye on her the whole time she's with them. Once it goes beyond just pecking at her as she runs panicked by, and they have her pinned in a corner, I get her out. At that point she plays dead, and obviously my birds think dead chicken tastes great!
Here is what I have tried:
1. Increasing our run size. It now measures 9X16 feet (they still pecked her mercilessly)
2. Separating her by a mesh temporary fence for a week (pecked her the moment they could get to her)
3. Putting her in at night when they were asleep (tried to murder her at first light)
4. Putting her in the coop and letting the hens out in our backyard
5. Spraying her with Hot Pick
6. Sitting in there and waving off aggressive hens (tried to murder her as soon as I left)
7. Letting them all out in the backyard - this is the only method in which they left her alone, shunned her really. But I can't leave them out to free range permanently because we have owls, bobcats, coyotes, and crows that eat birds. They are fine in the backyard but the moment they are in a smaller space, they go for blood
8. Put them all out in the garden, which is bigger than their run but smaller than the yard and throw out plenty of scratch and other treats - as soon as they're done eating they turn into homicidal maniacs
What am I missing? Is there chicken chain mail? Barbed wire? My husband refuses to build a second coop/run. I would hate to rehome her because she is the sweetest, most passive, cuddly chicken I've ever met. She keeps trying to get into the house, but we have cats, and my husband is adamantly opposed to a diapered house chicken. She will hop into our laps outside, and takes a dirt bath next to my son playing in the dirt.
I'm thinking of trying two more things:
1. Taking out two of the established chickens during the day to even out the odds
2. Putting a permanent fence down the middle of the run and building a new coop back there, balkanizing my flock
This has been going on for months. She is now almost full grown.
If anyone has any advice on what else to try, I would appreciate it. It's not good for her to be alone in the garden all day, and sleep in a box out in the garage every night.
But my flock adamantly will not accept a lone hen. They chase and peck her, and eventually she crouches in a corner with her head down and sits there while they draw blood from the back of her neck. She is a devoted pacifist, and won't even flap her wings at her persecutors. One time they pecked a bad wound on her neck. I've only been able to prevent further bloodshed by keeping an eye on her the whole time she's with them. Once it goes beyond just pecking at her as she runs panicked by, and they have her pinned in a corner, I get her out. At that point she plays dead, and obviously my birds think dead chicken tastes great!
Here is what I have tried:
1. Increasing our run size. It now measures 9X16 feet (they still pecked her mercilessly)
2. Separating her by a mesh temporary fence for a week (pecked her the moment they could get to her)
3. Putting her in at night when they were asleep (tried to murder her at first light)
4. Putting her in the coop and letting the hens out in our backyard
5. Spraying her with Hot Pick
6. Sitting in there and waving off aggressive hens (tried to murder her as soon as I left)
7. Letting them all out in the backyard - this is the only method in which they left her alone, shunned her really. But I can't leave them out to free range permanently because we have owls, bobcats, coyotes, and crows that eat birds. They are fine in the backyard but the moment they are in a smaller space, they go for blood
8. Put them all out in the garden, which is bigger than their run but smaller than the yard and throw out plenty of scratch and other treats - as soon as they're done eating they turn into homicidal maniacs
What am I missing? Is there chicken chain mail? Barbed wire? My husband refuses to build a second coop/run. I would hate to rehome her because she is the sweetest, most passive, cuddly chicken I've ever met. She keeps trying to get into the house, but we have cats, and my husband is adamantly opposed to a diapered house chicken. She will hop into our laps outside, and takes a dirt bath next to my son playing in the dirt.
I'm thinking of trying two more things:
1. Taking out two of the established chickens during the day to even out the odds
2. Putting a permanent fence down the middle of the run and building a new coop back there, balkanizing my flock
This has been going on for months. She is now almost full grown.
If anyone has any advice on what else to try, I would appreciate it. It's not good for her to be alone in the garden all day, and sleep in a box out in the garage every night.