Well I'm down to 8...

[WoodlandWoman]

Our chickens have never been too keen on the snow, either. They really like having a covered run. The pictures of your run looked like you'd need to add a supporting structure, to be able to add any cover. Can you do something like curve a cattle panel over their run, next to the coop? Then tarp it? You might get lucky and either the aggressors or the victims might spend more time outside.

I know this is a longer term problem for you. What have you already tried? I'd give them as much to do as possible. Hanging cabbages, pots of grass that you start in the house and take out to them, any kind of veggie scraps to peck at. Things like suet cages can be hung up with greens or veggie scraps in them. Scatter sunflower seeds, so they can spend time scratching around for them. Give them a dust bath of sand to dig and scratch around in.

Since your coop is so big, can you do anything to break up the visual space a bit? Add some shelves that chickens can get up on? Put an old table in there? If you can do that in front of a window, they'll spend time looking out the window, too. Can you make something like a mini room divider? You want chickens to be able to get away from each other or out of sight, without getting cornered. Hopefully, the aggressors might get busy and forget to go pick on the others, if they can't see them.

If you haven't done it already, I'd add an additional feeder and waterer. Even if it's just small bowls.

Have you tried the Avia Charge? That would be good for them. I'd definitely try adding some sunflower seed to their diet, also. Plus some greens.

There are peepers you can get, that clip on and prevent the bird from seeing straight ahead. Also, rings that clip on and keep the bird from closing it's beak all the way. They can still scoop up food and water with their lower beak.

Also, you can clip just the tip of their top beak. The beak grows similar to your own fingernails or your dog's nails. You don't want to cut the beak off back into the live tissue, as that's painful and can cause permanent damage, like the commercial places do. It's no problem and not painful at all, to just clip the tip of their top beak back, though. It would keep them from doing as much damage.

Good luck with your flock. This is such a heartbreaking problem. I hope you can find a combination of things that helps.

 

[max13077]

Thanks everybody, it is very tough. When I first thought of getting chickens I pictured raising them through the spring and summer, then putting them in the fridge around the end of October. Well, I never knew chickens were as friendly or entertaining as I found them to be. Annie, the RIR I had to cull yesterday was such a nice bird. It really made me sad when I had to do it to her. I'd tried so many things but nothing worked with her She was just ruthless. All my BO's and DB's had really bad cuts and wounds from her. It broke my heart.

When they were out free range and Annie would hear the door open, she would SPRINT to the deck to see you. Sure I had food, but she was there for you. All the other chickens were scarfing down a snack, she'd be sitting there on your lap pecking your hand to make you pet her. I'm convinced that's why she'd do it cause the second you stopped, she'd start pecking the crap out of you again. I had my old chair I'd sit in, she would hop up on the arm, and we'd have some hellish conversations about life, finding bugs, watching out for the hawks, etc. Now I sound like a total nutjob when I say that. But she was really a good buddy of mine. I never went anywhere in the yard without her in close tow. But she'd just become somebody I didn't know anymore. I'd try to pick her up, something she relished back in the summer and fall, and she would try to bite me. She had one thing in mind and that was picking the other hens.

Thanks to everybody for the ideas. I'm going to have a chicken Disney world here soon!

 

[LynneP]

Max, I think you will have a fabulous coop in time. We figure our first egg was worth about $1100, but we received such excellent advice and now we have a coop built into the barn that is fabulous for the birds and easy for us to maintain. We have only 12, and space to build another coop or two in the years to come. Like you, I was stunned at how amazing the birds are, and recently they have sung to me each morning as I enter their space. They must have a terrific choral director because I can't sing!

Best of luck to you as your heart heals from the experiences that wounded you, and may your future in raising birds be joyous...

 

[dancingbear]

Max, I'm sorry you've had such a difficult time. I've been keeping chickens for years, and never had this problem. I currently have 36 chickens and 13 guineas, sharing a coop, but they do go outside to free-range in the daytime.

The guineas started going in at night early in the fall, when a raccoon or owl or something started getting after them at night. Before that, they roosted out in the trees. But even as aggressive as the guineas can be, I haven't had the kind of problems with pecking that you have.

I think the others have great suggestions, I agree, if you rig some sort of cover for the run so it stays dry, and toss some hay or straw out there, and add a few entertainment features like a hanging cabbage, that could pretty much take care of it.

What breed(s) are these hens? Maybe a calmer breed would be better in your situation. Here's a chart that might help when you make your next choices. On the far right side of the chart, look under "Behavior", and read up on breeds that bear confinement well, are calm, and play well with others.

How old are they? Have they started laying eggs yet? If the answer to that is "no", are you certain you have pullets, not cockerels?

Have you tried putting Bag Balm on frequently picked at spots? They really dislike getting a beak-full of Bag Balm.

Good luck, I hope you're able to solve the problem.