stressed out hen

[chuckyd]

Hello all,

I have 3 hens and a rooster that are almost 2 years old that I raised from chicks (rhode island reds). One of the hens has become very stressed out, most likely because of the rooster. Lately she has stopped laying all together, and I think it is her who has begun eating some of the few eggs the others make. 2 of the 3 hens (including her) have bald backs and look awful, and Im afraid they are going to be cold in the winter (I do have a heater in the coop, but not sure how much it helps). I know the ratio is not very good, but thats how it turned out with the straight run. The one that is stressed also looks like she may have started pecking herself since she recently has a bloody spot on her shoulder (just in reach of her beak), and most of her tail feathers are missing. I remove the rooster from the coop for most of the day, and put him back in at night. I like the rooster, he crows just enough and isn't obnoxious with it, and he allows me to pick him up without fighting me. I've been thinking about getting rid of him, but it's tough for me to do, and I'm hoping he may grow out of it.......is there any hope this rooster will stop harassing the hens and she will get better? I really want them to be happy and it saddens me to see her so tattered and upset. I have some capes for the hens, but I'm not sure if they aggravate them further and slow the re-growth of the feathers. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

Chuck

 

[3KillerBs]

1-3 is a very high male-to-female ratio.

While some people do successfully keep pairs and trios and the 1-10 suggested ratio is more about fertility than behavior, you're a lot more likely to have trouble with a high male-to-female ratio than a low one.

How big is your coop and run -- in feet or meters?

Crowding can cause stress on it's own and it can make other stress worse.

That said,

If you're in the northern hemisphere -- putting your general location into your profile helps people give better-targeted advice -- then you're birds are likely to be molting at this time of year. Molting is, in itself, a stress factor. Hens often stop laying and may behave differently -- in ways that might come across as sulky, low-energy, or depressed.

Molting birds may benefit from a higher-protein feed than normal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of the hens has become very stressed out, most likely because of the rooster. Lately she has stopped laying all together, and I think it is her who has begun eating some of the few eggs the others make. 2 of the 3 hens (including her) have bald backs and look awful, and Im afraid they are going to be cold in the winter

The one that is stressed also looks like she may have started pecking herself since she recently has a bloody spot on her shoulder (just in reach of her beak), and most of her tail feathers are missing.

Please.
Photos of the hens, the shoulder, your housing.
Thank You.

 

[chuckyd]

1-3 is a very high male-to-female ratio.

While some people do successfully keep pairs and trios and the 1-10 suggested ratio is more about fertility than behavior, you're a lot more likely to have trouble with a high male-to-female ratio than a low one.

How big is your coop and run -- in feet or meters?

Crowding can cause stress on it's own and it can make other stress worse.

That said,

If you're in the northern hemisphere -- putting your general location into your profile helps people give better-targeted advice -- then you're birds are likely to be molting at this time of year. Molting is, in itself, a stress factor. Hens often stop laying and may behave differently -- in ways that might come across as sulky, low-energy, or depressed.

Molting birds may benefit from a higher-protein feed than normal.

Thanks for the info, I live in NM (high desert, ~5000 ft). The run is about 140 sq' and the coupe is 32 sq' on stilts in the run, I did my research before building the coup/run to make sure they had plenty of space. I will try the higher protein feed. Cheers