Three against one isn't fair

[Cav]

I live in London and have had 4 hens for just over a year. They share a 7 meter square pen but also range freely when I am around to keep an eye out for foxes and strange cats. They went through a bout of feather pecking when I had to keep them penned for 2 months during avian flu restrictions but this reduced when they were allowed out again. I've just returned from a 10 day holiday, during which they were penned again, to find one hen (a copper black) emaciated and badly pecked. She recovered a bit when I put the 2 worst peckers in broody boxes leaving her with one less aggressive companion. But I felt I couldn't keep the two boxed up for more than a couple of days. I tried dividing the pen but the two got back into the roost. This morning the victim was hiding in the roost again and was immediately visciously attacked by the aggressive pair when she came out to feed. What should I do?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I'm sorry that it is not under better circumstances that you join us. Feather pecking, whilst not solely limited to space, it's quite often the cause (alongside weather forcing the birds to remain in the coop). Once feather-pecking becomes an habitual behaviour, it can be hard to break. You mention the size of your run, but what about your coop?

Maybe creating a second coop and separating the run is one option. Re-homing your victim bird could be another option. Having multiple feeding stations and barriers that block the line of sight, within the run could also help.

Here's a link, just to provide a bit of background info - http://articles.extension.org/pages...nibalism-in-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks

 

[User395221]

Second coop, or rehoming. My Raven came to me because she wasn't getting on with her "sisters". She gets on fine with her new "sisters".

(Welcome to the forum, sorry about the circumstances about which you need help.)

 

[Cav]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I'm sorry that it is not under better circumstances that you join us. Feather pecking, whilst not solely limited to space, it's quite often the cause (alongside weather forcing the birds to remain in the coop). Once feather-pecking becomes an habitual behaviour, it can be hard to break. You mention the size of your run, but what about your coop?

Maybe creating a second coop and separating the run is one option. Re-homing your victim bird could be another option. Having multiple feeding stations and barriers that block the line of sight, within the run could also help.

Here's a link, just to provide a bit of background info - http://articles.extension.org/pages...nibalism-in-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks

Thank you Ken. I think the coop should be big enough. It's an eglu cube about 1 m square and the victim and the aggressive two were sleeping peacefully together when I peeped in last night (the fourth was in the nesting box). Separating the run is very difficult and I don't think I could fit in another coop anyway so I might have to think about reforming.....

 

[Pork Pie]

Thank you Ken. I think the coop should be big enough. It's an eglu cube about 1 m square and the victim and the aggressive two were sleeping peacefully together when I peeped in last night (the fourth was in the nesting box). Separating the run is very difficult and I don't think I could fit in another coop anyway so I might have to think about reforming.....

The general rule of thumb in terms of coop space is 4sqft per bird - this probably applies in the UK (I too, hail from there) considering the weather during winter and assuming that your run is not covered agains the elements. If your birds are not happy accessing the run every day of the year, then your coop is too small for 4 birds. Maybe re-homing is indeed the best option

 

[Cav]

The general rule of thumb in terms of coop space is 4sqft per bird - this probably applies in the UK (I too, hail from there) considering the weather during winter and assuming that your run is not covered agains the elements. If your birds are not happy accessing the run every day of the year, then your coop is too small for 4 birds. Maybe re-homing is indeed the best option

Thanks Ken. The eglu cube is advertised as big enough for 10 birds so it should be more than enough for 4. It's also raised up so the hens can hang out underneath when it's wet as it is now and I can see at least two have gone back into the pen to shelter there at the moment. The whole run is covered so the middle stays dry too. I really don't want the victim to suffer more, but I'm not sure how I can find a new home for a patchily feathered hen with a badly pecked head who seems very doddering and off balance as well

 

[User395221]

for a patchily feathered hen with a badly pecked head who seems very doddering and off balance as well

Could she be ill? The other hens might have turned on her because she's unwell. Anyway, if it's just caused by the circumstances, chook lovers understand these things and you should find someone who isn't put off. You might need to have her examined by a vet to show potential adopters that she's otherwise healthy.

Otherwise, you might look at rehoming one or both of the "meanies".

Chickens are individuals and even if they "should" be comfortable it doesn't mean they will be. Sometimes, like people, they just don't like another chook.

 

[theoldchick]

As a last resort you can try chicken peepers. They are plastic blinders that fit on the chicken and disrupt vision. While the wearer of peepers can still see to eat and drink, the can no longer see well enough to attack a flockmate.

Good luck!

 

[Kiki]

Unfortunately the manufactures "numbers" on how many chickens their "house" will hold are usually alway way too high.
Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are so glad you joined our flock.

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[rjohns39]

Welcome to BYC from Middle Tennessee Sorry about the circumstances. When I moved my birds into their winter housing after they had been pretty much free ranging their whole lives, I lost two morans. They had 6 sqf per bird. There are more experienced folks out here who can probably give you a better answer--but the theory in my case was that the birds I lost had no where to hide.