Rhode Island keeps eating and wasting food all day long

[DerSchoeneBahnhof]

This is my last remaining chicken, I have sold the 2 others. 4 years old, not laying anymore.

She started some very annoying behavior... flinging most of the food out of the dispensers (she didn't do that before) and wasting a lot of it on the floor (wasted pellets on the ground... she mostly doesn't eat). She spends pretty much the whole day pecking into the dispenser and throwing food out.

While the 2 others (egg layers) were easy to sell and got tons of requests on Craigslist, selling this one so far got no interest.

How much should she realistically be eating per day? I can't continue filling the food dispensers ad libitum.

Ugh, this is so frustrating.

 

[nuthatched]

What type of feeder and feed is it? Is it ground level or hung higher?

 

[SnackMeat]

If it's your last remaining chicken, she is probably bored and upset to be the only flock animal. I think this could be her acting out.

 

[EggzactlyRight]

I agree with SnackMeat. While there could be another explanation for it, it still isn't good for her to be alone. Chickens are flock animals and need company and community, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was her way of dealing with loneliness and boredom.​

 

[BDutch]

Is it possible to give her away for free to someone who has a single hen or a small flock ? Or buy a few pullets for your own maintenance?

I wouldn’t sell any chicken that doesn’t lay (anymore). Always give them away for free. That makes it much easier to find a new home.

 

[DerSchoeneBahnhof]

Oh, she has been alone in her coop for a while since fall 2022 after her 2 flock mates died from heat waves. She is tough. Went through several 42C heatwaves unscathed.

That new behavior only started mid to late June, while the 2 other chickens in the coop right next door (they can see each other) were still there.

I tried to introduce her (in 2023) to the other coop and she is so aggressive that I gave up before she badly injures the flock.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Could you try pinless peepers? They would likely help with her aggression towards other birds. This situation is quite sad all around. A flock animal shouldn’t be alone for three years. Rehoming or euthanasia is kinder at that point. :/ She’s probably incredibly frustrated and bored. I can’t blame her for developing bad habits. I really try not to humanize but this is just the manifestation of her innate needs as a chicken not being met

 

[DerSchoeneBahnhof]

Could you try pinless peepers?

It would be pointless at this point, this is my only remaining hen. I know it's not a great situation to have her alone, but I want to move away from raising backyard chickens - which I why I just sold the other 2 chickens (they found a lovely new owner and home by the way).

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you tried a different style of feeder, or different feed to see if that affects the behavior at all?

Or possibly you can dump all the "waste" on the tray into a bowl and serve it wet, a lot of birds prefer wet feed over dry and it reduces waste.

 

[BDutch]

Could you try pinless peepers? They would likely help with her aggression towards other birds. This situation is quite sad all around. A flock animal shouldn’t be alone for three years. Rehoming or euthanasia is kinder at that point. :/ She’s probably incredibly frustrated and bored. I can’t blame her for developing bad habits. I really try not to humanize but this is just the manifestation of her innate needs as a chicken not being met

She is already tortured bc she has to live alone. Please don’t buy her pinless peepers. Solve her unhappiness. Please!

Give her to someone who loves an extra hen like yours.