Newbie needs advice on flock management--to cull or not to cull?

[rccola7]

I have a flock of four hens just for egg-laying. I have a big boss hen, her sweet sidekick, then a red one who is clearly the "low man" of the three, and a little blind one. My blind one is (of course) my favorite, and she can usually hang out with the rest (she has to be fed alone) but the red "low man" is really picking on her, pecking at her eyes a lot. I have tried to just separate the blind chicken from the flock but she gets really depressed when she's alone so that's not an option. It's my idea that if we had to cull one it would be the red bully, but my husband says for the health of the flock it would be better to cull the blind one because she's the weakest (I guess it's a "they're my pets" vs. "they're our farm animals" argument)--I would like some honest opinions about how you would manage this little flock.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMHO, I'd probably cull the blind one since her quality of life is the worst.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I guess I'm too sentimental, I'd cull the bully but at the same time you have to realize that if you cull the bully, one of the others might take up the position of bullying the blind hen. I wish you luck in your decision. Sylvia

 

[Den in Penn]

I'm with ChickenCanoe the blind one should be the one to go. Not only because of her poor quality of life, but for the drain on yours with the extra work in keeping her.

 

[Amina]

The first thing I would try is separating the bully where the others can't see her for about 1 week. This will do two things. First, you can see what happens to the flock dynamics when the bully is gone. If others will take over the bullying, you'll know that, and be able to make a more informed decision. Second, when you return the bully, it is possible that she will have a better attitude and this problem will be lessened.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A blind chicken will never be able to avoid other chickens attacks.

 

[aart]

Myself, I would cull her, but I raise chickens for food and have a dog for a pet.
If I have a bird that unbalances the layer flocks harmony, I eat it.

She is weak.....that's why she will probably always be pecked at.
Natural selection, the flock doesn't want a weak member that may draw predators so they will attempt to drive it off.

If you want to keep a handicapped bird as a pet, you might have to experiment until you find her a companion that won't abuse her and create a facility to keep them safe from all predators including her own species.

 

[happyhens1972]

Myself, I would cull her, but I raise chickens for food and have a dog for a pet.
If I have a bird that unbalances the layer flocks harmony, I eat it.

She is weak.....that's why she will probably always be pecked at.
Natural selection, the flock doesn't want a weak member that may draw predators so they will attempt to drive it off.

If you want to keep a handicapped bird as a pet, you might have to experiment until you find her a companion that won't abuse her and create a facility to keep them safe from all predators including her own species.

I keep my chickens VERY MUCH as pets only and adore each and every one of them but I have to agree with this very pragmatic way of viewing things. It is very likely that this blind hen will always be picked on in a flock and eventually they will probably cause her proper harm. If you seperate her off with one docile girl, she will have a companion and hopefully as she would be no threat, her companion would not pick on her but they really need to be in a confined pen where she is safe from predators herself and also will not attract a predator to her companion by being slower and less reactionary to danger.

I have a 'special' Brahma girl....called Spaz. I assume she was spraddle legged as a chick and no-one took the time to fix her so she sort of 'staggers' and often falls over when tipped forward to eat. The other hens avoid her and peck at her when she gets too close to them. Thankfully I have a VERY large pen for them and there is one newer hen who has sort of adopted Spaz as her mum, ducking under her to sleep and remaining by her side wherever she goes. They have to go to bed last as the girls will not let them settle in the henhouse until everyone else has found their 'spot' and Spaz has her own, slightly raised feeding station so she can eat without needing to tip so far forward...which is tucked away round the other side of the pen and the others are happy to let her have it.

I have had to consider Spaz's welfare and came close to culling her before this newer hen 'adopted' her as she was clearly lonesome. It was clear that she would never 'fit in' so despite there being a definite 'ring leader' in her being pecked and chased, that is the natural way of things and it never occured to me to cull the bully as there would no doubt be a replacement in no time. I am happy to leave things as they are as she is not being actively tormented or harmed and she is otherwise a happy, healthy hen BUT if her current companion ever decided to leave her and join the main flock and she was again left on her own, I would not hesitate in culling her for her own sake.....even though it would break my heart

 

[greasemonkey88]

You really feel like keeping this hen is understandable. You could, make some eye patches to protect her eyes/sockets.

 

[happyhens1972]

Sadly, this would protect her eyes but not the rest of her and they will still attack her