serious culling due to behavior issues

[PaulaJoAnne]

We have been noticing that a growing number of our hens are going bald on top of their heads. And we know its not due to molting. And its not the rooster either. He has rather amazing balance, and never has to hang on!
I had finally pinned it down to our Austrolorp, who I caught ripping feathers out if she did not get her way at the feed bin.
She is slated for the stew pot this week.

However, I went out to feed and water this moring, and found one of our RIRs standing over one of the Cochins sitting in a nestbox, ruthlessly ripping feathers out.
She is not eating feathers, just scattering them far and wide.
I grabbed her and relocated her, and then waited around the corner to see what would happen.
She went right back to ripping feathers out

She is now cooling her heels in our woodbox in the entry, awaiting the knife that my dh will wield when he gets back from work.

I feel bad for our Cochins. Their personality is so timid. They do not fight back when picked on, even by much smaller chickens.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Ugh! What nasty girls! Hens are more yummeh than roosters I hear.

 

[kipper]

Poor Cochins are always picked on

 

[texasgal]

I have the same problem with my faverolles girl .. she's soooooooooo sweet and the roos AND the hens pick on her .. I just want to give her her own little house, ya know??

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Good Grief!!! I have grating over the top of the box, and this hen is screaming/squawking at the top of her lungs, and lunging up to hit the top hard.
We have had RIRs for close to a year now, and honestly, neither of has been happy with their personalities.
Can you say loud and rude all around?

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I have feather pickers too! They were targeting the backs of numerous chickens and I have probably 4 hens with exposed BOTTOMS as well! I did see a white hen picking, so I relocated all of my white hens since I couldn't tell which of the 5 had actually been the one who did it. But the problem continued, so I've let them free range as much as possible to let the picked on hens find shelter and give the bad ones something else to do! Soo far it's working well, we have growth coming in and I hope to have normal looking chickens in a month or so!!

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
We still have 4 feet of snow. No free ranging for about 6 weeks yet.

 

[Karrie13]

I am glad you are taking care of this issue now before it escalated.

I had an issue with feather picking and did everything I could to entertain them during the day, hanging treats almost out of reach, hay to scratch in out in the run, and scratch under the hay and everywhere else. I thought I had them well occupied so they would stop the picking but I didn't. My run is a little more than 25 x 30 so they have plenty of space. But someone had it out for one little EE hen, I came home from work to see her barley moving in the coop and barley lifting her head up to defend herself. I rescued her immediately just to see what those horrible girls did to her. I put her out of her misery though I don't think she was far from it anyway. My problem is I don't know who started it or who the feather picker was. I haven't had any problems lately so I am not sure what was going on.

 

[Turner]

I don't feel sorry for all Cochins...I have a big Buff cochin that is ruthless - from the time she was about a week old she would go after certain chicks. Seperated her out with one of her friends for a long time. Goldie has an eye that is evil! I finally have been able to get her settled around, my rooster is great at keeping things in order! If I am to add new grown hens to the flock she will probably have to go. We will see.

 

[sparkles2307]

Oh no! I have 12 partridge cochin chicks coming in 2 weeks, now I'm nervous cause I have Aussies and RIR!