Our 9 hens and one nasty roo were free ranging, until one of my hens disappeared, and then a second was attacked by something, probably a feral cat, just a few weeks later. (Thanks to all those on these forums who helped me through those situations!)
We are in upstate NY, and it was getting colder anyway, so we decided to coop them up again for the winter. They have a large coop, and a fenced run in the back. On all but the coldest single-digit days, they have access to the run.
Things were OK for a few weeks—my injured hen has fully recovered and her feathers have grown back to where I can't even tell she had a problem. But now, Red Momma is being pecked by the rest to the point where her bottom and the top of her legs are completely naked. I thought at first she was molting, until I read on here that molting usually starts at the head or neck, and this definitely started on her back end.
Since they are not eating the feathers, I am thinking it is boredom rather than a protein issue. One of the 2 of us is out there with them at least 3 times a day, usually more, but I think they are just reacting to being closed up after having the freedom to run.
I have tried the head of cabbage, which worked well until it froze solid and disappeared somewhere in the deep litter. I throw grapes, blueberries or other fruit in their litter or out back for them to find. On really cold days they get warm oatmeal with milk and honey. They have 2 human-size wooden ladders in front of large windows, in addition to the roosting bar, and they have more than enough nest boxes and other "furniture" to play in and around.
I don't know what else to do?
I let them loose to free range again today as the weather was a bit warmer (32° and sunny) and most of the snow has melted. What snow remains has cat footprints going up to and around the coop, which scares the heck out of me that another hen will be attacked.
So, 2 questions: Should I continue to let them out when the weather permits, and take the chance that another hen will disappear or be attacked? And, more importantly, should I remove the de-feathered hen from the flock until she grows her feathers back? I have no idea which of the others is pecking at her, even though I have tried to sit and watch them. The only thing I can think is to move her, and give her a warmer place to stay, since she is mostly naked at this point. But then what happens when I reintroduce her?
We are in upstate NY, and it was getting colder anyway, so we decided to coop them up again for the winter. They have a large coop, and a fenced run in the back. On all but the coldest single-digit days, they have access to the run.
Things were OK for a few weeks—my injured hen has fully recovered and her feathers have grown back to where I can't even tell she had a problem. But now, Red Momma is being pecked by the rest to the point where her bottom and the top of her legs are completely naked. I thought at first she was molting, until I read on here that molting usually starts at the head or neck, and this definitely started on her back end.
Since they are not eating the feathers, I am thinking it is boredom rather than a protein issue. One of the 2 of us is out there with them at least 3 times a day, usually more, but I think they are just reacting to being closed up after having the freedom to run.
I have tried the head of cabbage, which worked well until it froze solid and disappeared somewhere in the deep litter. I throw grapes, blueberries or other fruit in their litter or out back for them to find. On really cold days they get warm oatmeal with milk and honey. They have 2 human-size wooden ladders in front of large windows, in addition to the roosting bar, and they have more than enough nest boxes and other "furniture" to play in and around.
I don't know what else to do?
I let them loose to free range again today as the weather was a bit warmer (32° and sunny) and most of the snow has melted. What snow remains has cat footprints going up to and around the coop, which scares the heck out of me that another hen will be attacked.
So, 2 questions: Should I continue to let them out when the weather permits, and take the chance that another hen will disappear or be attacked? And, more importantly, should I remove the de-feathered hen from the flock until she grows her feathers back? I have no idea which of the others is pecking at her, even though I have tried to sit and watch them. The only thing I can think is to move her, and give her a warmer place to stay, since she is mostly naked at this point. But then what happens when I reintroduce her?
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