Ongoing Aggression or Bullying?

[FarmerFergie]

I've tried searching for a similar post on this issue, but no luck. I have 4 wyandottes and 4 EE. As of May they turned 1 year old and the feather plucking began. First with one EE and then a second. Then one wyandotte's butt feathers were all plucked out then another started having it happen to her but not as severe. The butt plucking happens in the coop at night. Now all my EE's have no beard feathers and two of them have no head/neck feathers. We thought it was 1 bully EE hen but we saw that when the hens assert themselves over another they actually grab and hold the feathers on the other. The 2 low end of the pecking order EE's constantly attack each other. The coop size is 24 sq ft and the run is 96 sq ft and they have a 1/8 acre pasture. We added mirrors and toys to the run incase it was boredom. I dewormed them just incase but they are healthy and bought some pinless blinders for them, I don't know what else to do.. What is this behavior? Can it be corrected? I want to add 2 more wyandottes to my flock but hesitant with this issue. Would a rooster help at all? Can EE have mental issues if poorly breed? - I ask this because 2 of the EE seem erratically spazzy unlike the others who are mellow. Appreciate any feedback, thank you!

 

[aart]

What is this behavior? Can it be corrected?

Could be crowding stress. Get a coop twice as large.


Where in this world are you located?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What is this behavior? Can it be corrected?

Welcome to BYC!

Personally.. I would question nutrition and also external parasites. But not without asking about molts or mini molts.

I highly recommend against adding new birds when you're having such issues.

Please post pics of the birds (so we can see the feather condition for ourselves) and your set up. Tell us also what is your feed routine including treats and supplements.

No, adding an unknown rooster is adding another dynamic. I've had plenty of hen only flocks without this issue. You don't have room for more birds either, IMO.

EE have typically been the docile one's in my flocks.. but they DID roam far and wide, not doing what I would call well in confinement. The sporadic spazzy ones are not usually dominant (or bully) in behavior but rather submissive and avoidant, in my experience and has nothing to do with the quality of breeding but simply with individual personality and not being as confident as the "calm" ones. Why does nervousness/anxiety translate as crazy in this world?

Chickens really don't care about mirrors in my experience either, though I saw a recent report of one almost starting a fire where the sun was reflecting into the shavings/wood chips and actually smoldering/smoking.

One option.. rehome a couple or few of the gals who aren't getting along. Keep the ones you like and are attached to and are fitting well with the flock while possibly making room for the others you want to add.

Hope this helps with some ideas.

 

[FarmerFergie]

Could be crowding stress. Get a coop twice as large.


Where in this world are you located?

I thought this too but wasn't sure at first, thank you for your suggestion

 

[FarmerFergie]

Welcome to BYC!

Personally.. I would question nutrition and also external parasites. But not without asking about molts or mini molts.

I highly recommend against adding new birds when you're having such issues.

Please post pics of the birds (so we can see the feather condition for ourselves) and your set up. Tell us also what is your feed routine including treats and supplements.

No, adding an unknown rooster is adding another dynamic. I've had plenty of hen only flocks without this issue. You don't have room for more birds either, IMO.

EE have typically been the docile one's in my flocks.. but they DID roam far and wide, not doing what I would call well in confinement. The sporadic spazzy ones are not usually dominant (or bully) in behavior but rather submissive and avoidant, in my experience and has nothing to do with the quality of breeding but simply with individual personality and not being as confident as the "calm" ones. Why does nervousness/anxiety translate as crazy in this world?

Chickens really don't care about mirrors in my experience either, though I saw a recent report of one almost starting a fire where the sun was reflecting into the shavings/wood chips and actually smoldering/smoking.

One option.. rehome a couple or few of the gals who aren't getting along. Keep the ones you like and are attached to and are fitting well with the flock while possibly making room for the others you want to add.

Hope this helps with some ideas.

I don't have any pictures at the moment, but we did thorough checks on all of them for skin issues/parasites and nothing found. I use sand in the coop and run and am a neat freak so they have a sanitary home. They just recently molted and no issues, all feathers grew back. They have pasture, a variety of goodies from my garden and scraps I feed them, also a good quality feed called Homestead Harvest which is local here in Maryland. Your description of the EE is spot on though with the hens I have, I appreciate your knowledge of them, I must have overlooked how much they roam versus the wyandottes haha. I also considered rehoming 2 of them because I only wanted 6 not 8, but we will plan on pasture expansion and coop/run modifications first and see what happens.

 

[StinkyAcres]

My EEs do the same thing. Pecking the other chickens' rear ends and beards. Large coop and free ranging has not stopped them. It may be related to diet and a lack of protein.

 

[jamescollinsssw]

We had a similar problem, only a separate chicken coop helped. So we didn't understand the reason. After a while they settled back and everything was ok