Resource guarding at POL: WWYD

[thecatumbrella]

Background
* My Black Australorp pullet (Mushroom) woke up on December 2nd and decided her Golden Comet sister (Ginger) was no longer allowed to eat ANYTHING in her presence. She pecks her in the head so hard I hear her skull rattle. Doesn't matter if it's the feeders, pendant peck toy, or a shriveled leaf that blew into the run.
* On December 4th, Mushroom starts squatting. This is also the day Ginger decides that her Australorp sisters (Mushroom + Pepper) need their butt feathers plucked and eaten. Voraciously.

What I've tried:
* Secondary feeder: Ginger INSISTS on eating with them, then forages at nothing in a corner when she's pecked away.
* Changing foods: They were eating 16% Dumor Organic Layer. They love it and eat a ton. It gives them soft poops. I switched to 20% Purina Flock Raiser.
* Putting Ginger in chicken jail: Everyone was so distressed that they didn't eat until 2pm. I'm sure the abrupt food change didn't help. Ginger resumed eye-ing their behinds when we allowed her back in the pen an hour before bedtime. We hung around to prevent any feather eating. I'll continue jail for a couple more days.

Questions:
* Is resource guarding a normal behavior when pullets are about to lay? Is it temporary? Is there such a thing as taking it too far?
* What would you do about the feather plucking if chicken jail doesn't reform her? The food deficit and isolation are a little more stressful when it's 20 degrees out.
* Do you think the feather eating is nutrition related? Stress related? Both?

Rehoming is an option. I have a FB acquaintance with a fantastic free-range setup.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Sally PB]

I'll continue jail for a couple more days.

It could take even longer.

Rehoming is an option. I have a FB acquaintance with a fantastic free-range setup.

That is what I'd do, if jail doesn't change her tune. With full disclosure of why you want to get rid of the bird.

Solve for the peace of the flock.

 

[thecatumbrella]

It could take even longer.

I'm honestly in agreement with you. Right now, jail is a dog crate. If we were to go longer than 3 days, I would give her the 9x9 "holding pen", which is adjacent to their main run.

How long would be a reasonable amount of time to keep her separated? They're obviously in sight of each other, but she would miss out on any communal activities, which I know is important to their well-being. I don't want to be cruel in an attempt to wait out their respective bad behaviors.

 

[Sally PB]

When I've jailed a bird, I did it for a week before I even thought of letting her out.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The only resource guarding I've seen past a quick 'out of my bubble' peck, was by occasional cockerels that were culled for behavior later. Personally, if she isn't letting the other bird anything, I'd cull her from the flock.

 

[thecatumbrella]

The only resource guarding I've seen past a quick 'out of my bubble' peck, was by occasional cockerels that were culled for behavior later. Personally, if she isn't letting the other bird anything, I'd cull her from the flock.

Good to know. I'd expect this if we were integrating new birds, but to be so focused on a flock mate seems bizarre to me. Before this, I couldn't even tell you what the pecking order was between the 3 of them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any photos of your set up? And how many birds total? Might need more than 2 feed stations, and/or more clutter in between them.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Any photos of your set up? And how many birds total? Might need more than 2 feed stations, and/or more clutter in between them.

Of course.

9x12. 3 birds total. The primary feeder normally goes where the red dot is, so we added a secondary one on the other side of the dig box near the waterer (we move the primary to Ginger's crate while they're separated).

One thought I had was adding another 6" tier to the dig box, maybe even with a 2" shelf topper. That might serve as a visual barrier between the feeders. I could also attempt to add a center wall where one of the roof supports is.

Here's the view from the 9x9 "holding pen". I ordered some wood chips and plan to convert this to Ginger's apartment for the next week or two. The springtime plan was to remove the coop and partition wall, giving everyone the full 9x21 with more roosting and digging stations (and a real coop on the exterior).

 

[thecatumbrella]

Once Ginger has free range of the holding pen, would it be beneficial to wall mount back-to-back feeders on the partition wall? This would mimic eating together, without Mushroom being able to guard. I see this concept sometimes with chicken integration; sprinkling food along the dividing wall so the chickens feed near each other.

Just a thought.

 

[aart]

Once Ginger has free range of the holding pen, would it be beneficial to wall mount back-to-back feeders on the partition wall? This would mimic eating together, without Mushroom being able to guard. I see this concept sometimes with chicken integration; sprinkling food along the dividing wall so the chickens feed near each other.

Just a thought.

Yes.