Peck order fighting gone bad!

[learning]

Help! I've been reading your advice to others on peck order fighting. Most of it says, "Just don't watch and it will all work out, as long as there's no bleeding." Okay - now, what do I do if there IS bleeding? Our Leghorn pullet was attacked by a RR cockrel, leaving a huge gash in the ear. We have had to keep her confined since then, all of the others are trying to kill her. I guess we should have culled the cockrels before now (16 weeks), but I'm so new to this! They weren't fighting like this until yesterday.

We'll butcher the cockrels in the next day or so, but in the mean time, do I keep the pullet separated? For how long? Will I be able to re-introduce her ever? I REALLY don't want to cull her because I only have a few pullets - bad luck with the straight run pick this year, I guess.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

I have read about this band aid/lotion for pecked chickens that heals the wound and keeps other chickens from pecking at it I don't remember what it was called, sorry

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

something like this
http://www.mypetchicken.com/Chicken_Health-Pick_No_More_Lotion_4_oz-P389.aspx

 

[gritsar]

Keep her seperate until she's completely healed.
Once you get rid of all those extra cockerels, things should calm down.
When the hen is healed, re-introduce her at night and see how things go in the morning.
I prefer pine tar over stuff such as blu-kote. One taste of pine tar and most chickens decide one taste was enough.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Boy, ain't that the truth! Pine tar is very effective at re-educating chickens who like to peck and pick.

 

[wohneli]

How many cockerels do you have?

 

[learning]

Thanks so much for all your help! That helps a lot. For the future, when do most of you butcher your cockrels? I don't exactly know how many I have. 4 are certainly cockrels, my Polish one seems like one, but I've never seen it crow and I can't be certain. About 3-4 of them are still a mystery to me.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Be warned- the pine tar is a MESS. One of my barred rocks is at the very bottom of the pecking order. She's alway missing feathers- so I tried the pine tar. Well- her feathers ARE coming back, and fast....but- they free range and she rolls in the dirt all day. Doesn't even look like a chicken anymore.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep, I forgot to mention that part. Messy, but effective. Also, don't be alarmed that the pine tar label says something along the lines of 'not for internal consumption'. They don't eat it. They hate it.

 

[Judy]

We did most of ours around or before 16 weeks. They are not full size but they make a 2.5 lb bird, or so, and they are still plenty tender for frying, etc. If you wait til they get full size they get tough -- the hormones can even change the flavor, I have heard.

Trick is to identify the roos correctly. We goofed on a couple, found eggs!