One chicken is getting bloody from getting pecked!! (Sorry, long)

[orcasislandchickens]

I agree with what everyone is saying, but I think your initial reaction was the right one. Do you realy NEED the extra 4 hens? If not, take the seperate one, and set her aside, while she heals up. Then choose two or three others to go with her, give those 4 away to a good home, and reduce your flock size.

Sure they will be ok free ranging together as the larger group, but every time you need to confine them they will be crowded and likely to stress. HOWEVER it is not just the hens that will be stressing YOU WILL STRESS TOO. Just because you are thoughtful and kind you will suffer every time the weather gets bad, or you have to go away for a few days. you will find yourself worrying about how they will do and if they will start up the bad behavior again . You should be enjoying your lovely hens and their eggs.

They are beautifully cared for hens in the prime of their laying years. Make someone elses day (they won't have to order a huge number just to get the few they need) and let the picked on one and a few others go.

 

[There A Chick]

Quote:
Again, just to reiterate, these hens free range every day on our 15 acres, so that technically is their run space. We're lucky to live in the middle of nowhere, Iowa, we have no neighbors so they free range every single day. The dog kennel run you see in the pic I put there when the chicks weren't really big enough to free range but I still wanted them to be able to transition to getting used to being outside the coop. Once the chicks got as big as the barn cats, they started to free range. At this point, the dog kennel doesn't even really need to be there as it serves no real purpose.

 

[mtnhomechick]

I think like this.

Back in the day.......

Farmers had a coop. Usually not runs. Chickens free ranged and went back for food or shelter.

If this is an ongoing problem then it's more of a concern.

If it's an isolated incident.......it's not that bad.

My run is 20 x 24 with and additional 10x30. I still had ONE incident. Things happen.

My girls have 16.66 sq ft of space plus they free range for a few hours a day, and I STILL had one incident. It's like having a red headed step child or a middle kid. Sometimes they fight.

Iowa is COLD in the winter.......but so were the farmlands years ago.

When the weather is warmer you might want to consider enlarging the run.

But most chickens are hearty.

 

[There A Chick]

Quote:
That makes alot of sense because there are times, like when the temperature is 30 below and they will need to stay inside and there will be times of stress! I have a friend who has had chickens previously and she was wanting to get started again, so I will see if she'd like to take 4 of them, I bet she will.

 

[There A Chick]

Quote:
Hmmm, I guess I'm not really sure at this point if its an ongoing problem or an isolated incident.

It really started when they were cooped up for the 2 cold weeks in December. Thank god they are coming out again. It took them a little while to figure out that it really was OK to step on the snow. Right now most of snow has melted and what's left has turned to ice because of the melting and freeze/thaw. Here's a pic from today (can you spot the camoflaged would-be predator):

 

[mtnhomechick]

Are those red sex links?

 

[Chicken Woman]

You can get hibiclens at drug stor in first aid dept. Or you can buy blu-kote at the feed store. They both work wello

Good luck and let us know how shes healing ok

 

[There A Chick]

Quote:
They are called Gold Star. Here's where I got them, scroll down just a little, in the middle of the page. This breed was recommended to me by my mentor #1 as I had wanted really friendly chickens and these are supposed to be very docile. I guess its what she has always gotten.

http://hoovershatchery.com/html/brown.html


I will let you know how things go with healing up the wound on the hen. I know what blu-kote is. I can get that tomorrow. I already have the dog crate set up on the breezeway. DH made a ~face~ about the hen going on the breezeway though. LOL!

 

[mtnhomechick]

That's the rsl. I have 14. They are VERY good with me but peck at the others as the others do them AT TIMES.

As far as chickens go.......they are docile.

I have RIRs that were picked on for being the younger ones and now they are just plain mean.

Chickens just have to establish THE ORDER. I guess.

I hope you can find a way to hang on to your girls. 15 acres most of the time is a lot of space.

I really like your coop. It looks real nice.

 

[There A Chick]

Quote:
So mine are RSL then?

It was funny when the chickens first started to free range because they stayed close to the coop for a long time, then went into the barn very close to the coop, then to the horse barn which is farther away, then one day they were up at the house which is REALLY far away. In the summer they were going really far away! LOL!

Thanks for the compliment on the coop. I got the design idea here, of course.

Hey, off topic, but my in-laws live in Lead Hill, AR. We were down there last year. They retired there.