The best way to cull ???

[Crazy4Chicks]

I have a hen that is getting eaten alive by the others- sheis on the bottom of the pecking order and the others are just making life awful for her. They started to pull her tail feathers out and when those were gone they started to peck around her vent area now there is a huge bloody hole and I am not sure she is even able to poop at the this point.
I have tried diff. things to help her but nothing is working. I can not remove her into another pen because I dont have one I can not bring her in the house because of the dogs.
I hate to see her feeling so badly and at this point I feel culling her might be the " nicest" thing I could do for her since they just keep at her so badly.

She is an EE and was always kinda a loner. The other 4 EEs peck her just as much as the others, and the other EEs get peck on as well. I plan on making a new run this spring to remove the EEs but this girl will not make it till than.
How do I stop the other EEs from picking on each other ?
they have plenty of room in the run/coop, they get layer feed all day, cracked corn on cold mornings/nights, oatmeal and other trests, dry kitten food with 40 % protein, fresh water, it is only the EEs that are getting pecked on

I am so confused and I feel so badly for this little girl- so if anyone knows a way to cull that is quick and painless please help. I have never had to cull anything before so this is not something I look forward to doing but in this case I do feel it would be better for her.

Julie

 

[justusnak]

Julie,
Is there some way to split the coop? Just run a piece of fenceing down the middle of it. Keep the EE's inside through the winter time. It seems cruel to some, not letting them out to play...but in your case, it could be a life saver. If there is no other option, than to cull....I would say a block of wood, and and ax/hatchet. Its quick, and over with fast. However, if there is one that is getting picked on now...and you remover her, the others might just look for another to bully. Do you have a large dog crate? Maybe some pics of your coop would help us to help you remedy the situation. Good luck.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I do have a dog crate that would be big enough the only problem is momma dog is using it right now with the pups. since it is only the EE's gettng picked on I am not sure how to handle it.
I might be able to build them thier own yard but it will be really small and they would not have access to the coop so that would not work. I could rehome all the EE's - since they are the ones getting peaked on by the others and each other. But I know DH loves getting his green eggs LOL


I will try to locate the pictures of the coop. I had them somewhere on this computer but dang if I can find them now LOL

Julie

 

[patandchickens]

If you did want totry yemporary separation til she heals, really just about anything would be sufficient shelter as long as you could knock together a predator-proof little pen or subdivide off a vorner of your existing one.

Heck, a sturdy cardboard box would probably work til it rained (or til it got yucky and a new one had to be swapped in).


or perhaps you might know someone who could lend you another dog crate for a while?

Good luck,

Pat

 

[purplebaby]

look on craigslist for your area and see if u can find and old bunny hutch or a dog house for low or no cost, then fence off that little area. that'd do til spring when u can build new run.

 

[LoneCowboy]

i bought a small animal cage at Walmart. I call it the hospital cage. I put it inside the coop with the other girls but put the hurt one in it. It works really great.

The problem you are going to have it once she is gone, then somebody else will become low chicken in the pecking order and they'll start picking on her.

You have to ask are they picking because they are missing something in their diet? My girls started this winter too, I wondering if it's need for more protien, so I've added more of that. I've added Avia Charge to their water to see if that will help. I actually think it has.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I was outside in the run just watching the flock do its daily thing - just to see who is really pecking on who and how often etc... the EE's are the worst they are pecking everyone and each other - the SLC and the LB's are pecking on the EE's but the SLC and LB's are not pecking each other !

I also noticed that one of the EE's has a very large crop so I picked her up and it feels like a water balloon on her chest - really soft and sguishy, one of the other EE's is walking around and stopping every once in while and brings her leg up close to her body -tried to get her but she is fast - she is staying in the sun so I can only imagine she is doing this because she is cold and I took a look at the tail-less one and there is no new blood showing but she is also keeping her rear-end away from every one else.

I am just about to give up with the EE's and rehome them all- they are the only ones with issues right now- all the others look great ( cold but fine ). even my little banty hen is looking good- nice shine to her feathers.
the only thing going great for the EE's right now is out of the 5, 3 are laying

Julie

 

[LoneCowboy]

My EE's are my problem children, they are the ones who keep getting their vents picked at. However, one of my SLW's back is bald from being picked. It's my Red Sexlinks that are being the nasty little boogers. I can't get rid of them, they are my good layers and I have more of them than any other. This chicken stuff is really difficult to figure out sometimes.