Hello,
I have 5 free-range chickens all about 3 years old. They all come from different backgrounds. 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, 1 Rhode-Island Red, 2 Rhodebars and a Cuckoo Maran. They had the entire 1/2 acre of our backyard to range until we couldn't stand the poop on our patio and everywhere so we divided the yard and gave them a run that was 1/3 the size. The Rhodebars and Barred Plymouth Rock started pecking at the Rhode-Island Red soon after, it was last fall when we made the change, however. Throughout the spring and summer, the pecking was minimal but continued. The Red had bald patches at the top of her wings, at the shoulder, and her head was bald. She roosted outside the coop in an enclosed run with another Barred that passed away this summer. There was never any blood. This week, it got colder again and they started plucking her completely. She lost a lot of feathers on her back and sides. I put her in the house in a dog crate for 2 days and she started to grow her feathers back. She is now outside again, because she became so restless, and is on the opposite side of the fence from the rest of the flock. I put the Cockoo Maran with her today to try it out as I have never seen that hen pick on the Red. My question, finally, is, can I keep this situation? Right now, all the hens are walking up and down the fence near each other. I don't want stressed birds but also don't want the Red killed by the others or living alone.
I have 5 free-range chickens all about 3 years old. They all come from different backgrounds. 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, 1 Rhode-Island Red, 2 Rhodebars and a Cuckoo Maran. They had the entire 1/2 acre of our backyard to range until we couldn't stand the poop on our patio and everywhere so we divided the yard and gave them a run that was 1/3 the size. The Rhodebars and Barred Plymouth Rock started pecking at the Rhode-Island Red soon after, it was last fall when we made the change, however. Throughout the spring and summer, the pecking was minimal but continued. The Red had bald patches at the top of her wings, at the shoulder, and her head was bald. She roosted outside the coop in an enclosed run with another Barred that passed away this summer. There was never any blood. This week, it got colder again and they started plucking her completely. She lost a lot of feathers on her back and sides. I put her in the house in a dog crate for 2 days and she started to grow her feathers back. She is now outside again, because she became so restless, and is on the opposite side of the fence from the rest of the flock. I put the Cockoo Maran with her today to try it out as I have never seen that hen pick on the Red. My question, finally, is, can I keep this situation? Right now, all the hens are walking up and down the fence near each other. I don't want stressed birds but also don't want the Red killed by the others or living alone.