Urgent help needed-pecking extreme

[Debbie292d]

This is helpful thank you. Our run is slightly small for our 7 chickens. We have always planned to open more space for them but with winter it got postponed as the ground is frozen we cannot fence off the space needed.

I do have a fenced garden area that they could roam for the time being, it is attached to their coop and run space. But without it fully topped off above, would I need to clip their wings so they don’t fly out?

I’ve witnessed one bird acting aggressively before. I’m thinking it could be her although I haven’t seen it lately or directly toward this chicken. She is not new. They are all brooder mates and just over a year old. Currently on scratch n peck layer mash. I’ll look into a higher protein diet

Sounds like good plans!

I'm not familiar with which chickens can fly as we have silkies that don't. Here's a great article that might help you if you have to do that.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/wing-clipping.76982/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The size of the run, IMO, is not as important as the size of the coop. In a run they can often get away from each other, but crowded hens in a closed-up coop have nowhere to go. This is often where injuries occur.

 

[_ss233]

Sorry about your hen.

You don't have a rooster? The only time I've dealt with wounds in that location is due to the hen being mounted, nail or spur has accidentally sliced them.

Have you tried the pinless peeper as suggested last year when you had a picking issue within the flock? https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fowl-pox-pecking.1678918/#post-28883137

How much space do you have in your coop and run? Square Footage of each?
Are your hens confined all the time or do they roam out and about too?

A camera or two to observe and see what's going on can be helpful, one in the run, one in the coop. Often picking/pecking happens during roosting.

As for rehoming? That would be up to you, as of now, you don't know which hen it is and haven't seen any bad behavior.

It’s interesting because that pecking issue was a different chicken and location and never had another problem with her after. No rooster. She had this injury on her back about a month ago, I was able to fully heal her and now it is slightly lower and under the wing. Quite odd. I never tried those tools because I could never figure out who it was. They’re currently cooped up. I see they need space and am eager to get that set up as soon as weather allows. As a new chicken owner I am learning a lot and want to do all the right things.

 

[_ss233]

It’s interesting because that pecking issue was a different chicken and location and never had another problem with her after. No rooster. She had this injury on her back about a month ago, I was able to fully heal her and now it is slightly lower and under the wing. Quite odd. I never tried those tools because I could never figure out who it was. They’re currently cooped up. I see they need space and am eager to get that set up as soon as weather allows. As a new chicken owner I am learning a lot and want to do all the right things.

By cooped up I should clarify, the have a large fenced run. Their coop is quite big as well but I do think the run space needs to be expanded

 

[_ss233]

The size of the run, IMO, is not as important as the size of the coop. In a run they can often get away from each other, but crowded hens in a closed-up coop have nowhere to go. This is often where injuries occur.

Our coop is quite big. I’d have to ask my husband for dimensions but it is walk in and has two roosting bars. And it is so interesting because this injury did not seem to really “show up” visually until this evening before they cooped up. I was down with them a few times today and didn’t notice it till the evening came.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It’s interesting because that pecking issue was a different chicken and location and never had another problem with her after. No rooster. She had this injury on her back about a month ago, I was able to fully heal her and now it is slightly lower and under the wing. Quite odd. I never tried those tools because I could never figure out who it was. They’re currently cooped up. I see they need space and am eager to get that set up as soon as weather allows. As a new chicken owner I am learning a lot and want to do all the right things.

Could she be jumping off of something and skinning herself on a roost bar, nail, staple, fence, etc.?
Just another thought. It looks somewhat cut/sliced/skinned instead of "plucked".
Look around at your roosting area to see if there's any blood smears.

And it is so interesting because this injury did not seem to really “show up” visually until this evening before they cooped up. I was down with them a few times today and didn’t notice it till the evening came.