Unbalanced flock… …

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. The Best of Luck with your Flock! And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska.

 

[N F C]

Best wishes with your flock, the other greeters have given you some good tips.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! It's very nice to meet you! Please make yourself at home!

 

[Blue Raptor]

Hi Y’all … I have chicken problems.. 2 roosters raised as babes together and 6 hens ,3 of which were raised with the 2 roosters, and 3 that are 3 weeks younger than the main 5 elders ..who are all just shy of 1 yr old coming up in July… Thier coop is a 8x8 fortress and they have a run with ample space.
Chicken problems..
1. bullies, feather plucking and eating of plucked feathers
2. over mating
3. 1 hen (Melissa) gets the worst of both problems making it problem #3
4. The hen (Nelly) that is 2nd place for worst situation has skin missing from apparent “cannibalism“ * I made aprons for the girls and apparently thought that would safeguard a situation like this… I was wrong.
soooo I put Melissa and Nelly together in a separate pen from the flock and WTHECK …. Nelly bruised and pulled feathers off of my poor girl Melissa’s head! so now Melissa resides in her own sweet and get all the extra special treats….

Things I’m doing to remedy this imbalance…
1. I bought more chicks (hens specifically) only 5 days old at this point..I have 6 but looking to get at least 5 more..
2. I made a large outdoor pen/ not the covered run space, for them to roam.. large hawks are a concern so they only go out in it when I’m in the yard working which is more with the weather pending…
3. I have boredom items like extra perches and swings and piles of hay/shaving with seeds to scratch for.

back In the beginning of the year my roosters were drawing blood on each other for a couple of weeks, but that has stopped completely… I love them both and rehoming or slaughtering one of them is not an option here...…
…and I have an elderly cat that walks all over me,.. it is what it is.
Any advise from experienced chicken parents out there would greatly be appreciated.
In all seriousness, yours truly What the Cluck ….

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Grammy60]

Hi and welcome to BYC Thanks for joining us and best of luck with your flock

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I agree with the others, you have way too many boys and too many birds crammed into a small space. Chickens become aggressive when they don't have enough personal space, they can and will kill each other. Roosters over make hens literally to death. Shrink your flock in half and keep 1 rooster.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Good luck with your flock - husbandry changes are needed as indicated by others. Feather pecking/plucking can lead to increased cannibalism/death.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[Tookie]

Hello, welcome to BYC! Good luck with your flock!

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

Hi! Welcome to BYC!