Pecked BALD, have to isolate from flock! Need solution STAT!

[Bek]

1 of 5 Rhode Island Red* hens has been pecked bald ((I think bc they are too crowded in the coop, but coop was gifted with chickens so that's what we have to use)). Will get pecked immediately when around other 4 girls so we've had to isolate her in the run while the rest are cooped up, and vice versa. She (Bertha) has now become aggressive towards us, making the swapping between coop and run a huge challenge.

I have been opening the run/coop to let Bertha out to roam while I hand move the other 4 - but she will charge at me now. I've had to raise my leg up and let her charge into my boot because she's just so angry at me! I have to wear my 15mo son in a carrier for fear of Bertha charging at him, too. Now I have little fingers that look like tasty treats dangling from my body! This definitely adds to the challenge of transporting a hen under one arm, a baby hanging on the other side, and an aggressive chicken nearby stalking her prey

Bertha has given us an egg every day that we've had her ((just over 2wks)), so I'd hate to have to cull her already. I've had some help from my husband up to this point, but his classes start again next week so I MUST figure out how to do this on my own ((with the baby and German Shepherd in tow))!

Bottom line: it's too much work and stress to keep one isolated from the rest; we don't have space/resources to make another coop for our outcast; and with the added anxiety of Bertha's agressiveness plus having to manage it all on my own...we need a solution, stat!

Suggested SOLUTIONS welcomed on what to do from here!!! Hope I've provided enough details to get some educated/experienced feedback

*Update: great info was just shared with me, and what I was told we're RIRs are likely a production red. Possibly explains the more feisty tempers...

 

[apryl29]

I had a surprise roo in my coop and the other 2 established guys didn't like the new competition. I made him an apartment on the side of the main coop until I found him a home. Right now my leghorn is vacationing in there b/c something happened and he was bleeding and the others wouldn't leave him alone (not sure if someone hurt him or a feather got caught on something)... If you have the time and ability it might not be a bad idea to make a small section. Just remember to block in under the edge of the coop so nothing can crawl in that way. How big is your coop? They says a 4'x4' of floor space for each bird, so for 5 birds you'd need a 20 sq ft of space so a 4x5 coop would be adequate. I have 14 (previously 16) birds in an 8x8 coop. Is expanding your run an option? Or maybe giving them a place to hide from each other. The pecking order is a normal thing, but I'd keep the bald girl separate until she grows her feathers back. You said you got them from someone else.. did they have a problem with them pulling feathers from this one? You could try placing an ad for her on craigslist or another site to find someone who may want her instead of culling her. Attaching a pic of our chicken apartment & it's previous occupant. I felt bad b/c it kind of looks like a refugee situation, but it was temporary for him. I've made a few changes since then, but don't have any pics of it.. If you can find a dog house, it'd actually be perfect, then you could just fence in around it. I used an old plastic tote, pull tied the top on so it won't come undone, and cut a hole in the side & tossed in some straw. An old pallet underneath to keep it off the ground when it rains.

 

[rebrascora]

A photo of your set up might help, but basically you have too many birds or too small a set up. The answer is to rehome some birds or provide more space. Rhode Island Reds are not a breed known for their docile temperament (they can be feisty) so that will be making the overcrowded situation worse.
The aggressive behaviour may calm down if she has more space and things to do but it may have already become a habit that could be hard to break.
I would say that your options are to buy or make an add on run, or perhaps buy some electric poultry fencing and allocate them more of your yard using that..... clipping wings may be necessary to keep them in, or advertise on craiglist to rehome at least a couple.
I'm sorry, there is no magic trick to make them get along when there is not enough space and it could easily escalate to cannibalism as well as egg eating.

 

[coach723]

Agree, a picture of the coop/run would help in giving you advice, and X2 on everything rebrascora said.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a dog crate, preferably wire, that you could place her in with a food and water bowl? You can place it inside their coop or run, and out in their chicken yard during the day, so they will be forced to stay together with no one being hurt. Apply plain triple antibiotic/neosporin ointment to the scalp. When you try to reintegrate, use BluKote on her scalp to hide the bare skin until feathers are all grown back in.
It is hard to know why she has become human aggressive, but if it continues I would give her away.

 

[Bek]

I should have clarified that she's bald AND has zero comb! She was almost comb-less when we adopted her, but only a couple days here with us and her comb was 100% gone and she was bloody. Have isolated her since.

The coop measures 3ft×6ft total. I think it's just too small. Already removed panels from 'attic' storage cubby to allow for more vertical space; also installed new roosting bar, that they use and love. I'd like to enclose the front half and create some vents. Also thoughts of building a base/structure so coop would be upstairs, run space would be downstairs, giving them more all-access space.


We built moveable panels for a run, which has also been serving as Bertha's overnight spot


I should also add we live in central Indiana so weather conditions will be a factor as the seasons change. Want to be sure the girls are as happy and healthy as possible!

Thanks all for the advice so far! It's such help to get so many different opinions and thought processes!

 

[Eggcessive]

My pure bred heritage RIR hens and roosters were some of the most timid and easy chickens in my flock. Their line goes back 100 plus years, and I was fortunate to get some of their hatching eggs a few years ago. But what the hatcheries sell as RIR, are crossed with other breeds to lay large eggs every day. I wish they would not call them Rhode Island Reds, since they are really production reds or mixes. The hen below is not mine, but typical of a heritage RIR (note the dark mahogany color) and mine are larger than my black copper marans.

 

[Bek]

My pure bred heritage RIR hens and roosters were some of the most timid and easy chickens in my flock. Their line goes back 100 plus years, and I was fortunate to get some of their hatching eggs a few years ago. But what the hatcheries sell as RIR, are crossed with other breeds to lay large eggs every day. I wish they would not call them Rhode Island Reds, since they are really production reds or mixes. The hen below is not mine, but typical of a heritage RIR (note the dark mahogany color) and mine are larger than my black copper marans.

Great info! And based on that, I guess my girls must be production reds.

 

[apryl29]

Yeah, your coop is way too small. Right now I would only put 2 birds in that coop. The 'coop' is actually only the enclosed wooden part, the outside screened part is the run. Even with the front part enclosed it'd still be too small for the number of birds you currently have, but it might be doable with that as the coop plus an additional run. If I were you I'd use plywood sheets to cover the sides and door of the run to make the coop bigger. Depending on how it's made you could even cut out a larger section of the front wall (where the chicken size door is) so it would be more open instead of having 2 divided sections. On the left hand side of the coop I'd cut a chicken size hole (same size as the one inside the coop right now). Then get some chicken wire or hardware cloth and some fence posts and enclose the left hand side of the coop with some of the yard so the birds can go into the grass. Cover it w/ chicken wire to keep animals from getting in at night, you can adjust how the covering is so you still have access to the nesting boxes to collect eggs. Depending on the way the wind blows you may want to rotate the coop b/c when winter hits you don't want snow coming in. Or you could just put a board over the hole if it becomes an issue. I hope that all makes sense.

For the other space where Bertha is living right now, it's not bad for a temporary place, but I'd use fence posts to support the wire frames better (pull ties would work great to hold the panels to them) and make sure she has a place to go in at night for more safety & protection from the elements, esp if she's missing a lot of feathers. I used a rubbermaid tote w/ a hole cut into the side & filled it w/ straw or wood shavings. Once she gets some feathers back and the other coop is expanded you may have enough space for all the birds to live peacefully.

 

[Bek]

Yeah, your coop is way too small. Right now I would only put 2 birds in that coop. The 'coop' is actually only the enclosed wooden part, the outside screened part is the run. Even with the front part enclosed it'd still be too small for the number of birds you currently have, but it might be doable with that as the coop plus an additional run. If I were you I'd use plywood sheets to cover the sides and door of the run to make the coop bigger. Depending on how it's made you could even cut out a larger section of the front wall (where the chicken size door is) so it would be more open instead of having 2 divided sections. On the left hand side of the coop I'd cut a chicken size hole (same size as the one inside the coop right now). Then get some chicken wire or hardware cloth and some fence posts and enclose the left hand side of the coop with some of the yard so the birds can go into the grass. Cover it w/ chicken wire to keep animals from getting in at night, you can adjust how the covering is so you still have access to the nesting boxes to collect eggs. Depending on the way the wind blows you may want to rotate the coop b/c when winter hits you don't want snow coming in. Or you could just put a board over the hole if it becomes an issue. I hope that all makes sense.

For the other space where Bertha is living right now, it's not bad for a temporary place, but I'd use fence posts to support the wire frames better (pull ties would work great to hold the panels to them) and make sure she has a place to go in at night for more safety & protection from the elements, esp if she's missing a lot of feathers. I used a rubbermaid tote w/ a hole cut into the side & filled it w/ straw or wood shavings. Once she gets some feathers back and the other coop is expanded you may have enough space for all the birds to live peacefully.

Totally makes sense! That's what I was thinking of doing - enclosing the run to make it all coop - wouldn't cost much, may even have some wood laying around. If I did that, then I think I'd like to lift said enclosed coop up, creating a permanent run beneath. This way I could still use my panels as a portable run, and also have a little more space for them to roam during inclement weather, etc when I can't let them out.

Bertha currently has a storage tote fashioned up to keep her from this season's elements that's in the portable run.

Thanks for your thoughts and info!