Pecking another chicken

[Jarhead1845]

We are all new to this just bought a farm. I bought 12 golden Comet chickens and they started laying about 3 weeks ago. Everything is fine in the chicken house as far as all getting along but my wife wanted another breed of chicken so we went out and got a barred rock and a Easter Egger. We have had those for about 2 weeks and the Barb Rock seems to fit in its a little bit bigger but the Easter Egger is a small chicken and the other chickens keep picking on it. Went out this morning and it was dead there was no feathers on the head the other chickens just kept pecking and pecking on it. Just wanting to know if they did this because it was a small runt of a chicken or because it was new and wasn't introduced when the golden comets were into the coop. I forgot to mention we do have two roosters but no one ever seen them bothering that little chicken

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there. I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a chicken anytime, but especially early on in raising chickens can be sad and discouraging, I know.

As far as the death of the bird. I would venture to guess it is along the lines of what you mentioned there...the bird could have also been sick, and the birds pecked it because they knew it was not healthy. How did you introduce the new birds? Often when you introduce new birds, you want to introduce them gradually, using the see but don't touch method, as shown in this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/

The Comets may have reacted aggressively if the birds were suddenly dropped in the coop without gradual introduction.

Keep an eye on the rest of your flock to make sure no one is acting sick, and happy chicken keeping!

 

[Jarhead1845]

Yep. Had no idea what to do.I just put the new chickens in the coop when we got them.Live and learn.This easter egger seemed to be healthy.Really friendly too but it was not even half the size of the golden comets.Plenty of room to hide in the coop and the runs I made but just whenever she came out they all went for her.Thanks for your response.I have learned a lesson

 

[sourland]

Chicken social society (the pecking order) can be brutal. Bottom line is bigger chickens pick on new/smaller chickens. Sorry for your loss. It is a lesson many of us have had to learn.

 

[CuzChickens]

Yep. Had no idea what to do.I just put the new chickens in the coop when we got them.Live and learn.This easter egger seemed to be healthy.Really friendly too but it was not even half the size of the golden comets.Plenty of room to hide in the coop and the runs I made but just whenever she came out they all went for her.Thanks for your response.I have learned a lesson

Yes, it is a painful lesson to learn, but I am sure it was a valuable lesson, and not something that will be happening again. We all make mistakes, even older, seasoned chicken keepers. I have been keeping chickens for one and a half years, and some people here have been keeping chickens for over 50 years, and we are all still learning. That is why we have BYC, to learn from each other, and to give each other support when we learn from our mistakes. Good luck with your birds!

 

[BirdHead]

Is the coop big enough to house that number to begin with?

Also, I would hope she was sick (not really because that's horrible ) because if your hens just murder a smaller one then um they're viscous.