Older Ladies Pecking Eachother

[stirfry]

I have only had chickens for 2 months and the 2 older ladies peck each other, that was one of the reasons we didn't put the 3 new ones in with them. They have no feather on their backs how do I get them to stop?

 

[welasharon]

Pecking usually is caused by lack of sufficient protein or crowding/boredom. What are you feeding them? How are they housed? Do they spend much time closed up or do they get out and about?

 

[stirfry]

They eat pellets and coral shell, they only get out when the weather is nice. they live in a 4 by 6 pen in the furnace room. We really have no other place to put them. We have been thinking about making it taller, will that help?

 

[welasharon]

Taller will not help. They don't go up much like canaries. It's the floor area that matters. They need room to get away from each other. Is it possible they are moulting too? Is there a reason they can't be put outside in an area during the day? Try feeding them some extra protein to see if that curbs it. Eggs, meat and even cat food (in limited quantites) can help.

 

[dl9976]

Their quarters are too small...if given more room it will stop...one of them could really injure or kill the other...I would consider getting them a larger area asap.