What on Earth do we do now???

rosemarysugar

Songster
Mar 1, 2018
489
596
221
Meeker, Colorado
I have a flock of 7 hens; five are one year old and two are 20ish weeks. All have been doing well together for 6 weeks or so now. After arriving home the other day, the sweet Orpington had been beat up. I don't get it, all has been well. Her face, waddle and comb had been severely pecked and bruised. We've had them separated into two groups now, removing her from the culprits. Things have been going well except when we add the two back in temporarily and they go for her. They've been together since day one and have been a very tight group. Will they get along or do I need to create a separate area for half the flock? She is kind of a special needs chicken and is so precious. I couldn't handle finding her pecked to death one day.
 
By special needs do you mean there is something physically or mentally wrong with her? Chickens can sense these things. My guess is that this is their way of trying to cull her from the flock. It’s just their instincts; they want as strong a flock as possible. Something may have changed within her recently.

You could try seperating the worst offender instead of the Orpington. Sometimes it resets that ones place in the flock and helps dull her aggressiveness.
 
I'd keep her separate from the culprits and get her a duck friend. Ducks usually get along with chickens, and I'm guessing their beaks can't do as much damage.
 
How much room do you have? Cause what might of happened is that what was enough room for 5 hens and 2 chicks, is not enough room for 7 full grown hens. This frequently happens. People tend to think that if they are raised together, they will get along, but chicken society does not operate that way.

Another question is what does your run look like, is it a wide open space, or is there hide outs, roosts in the run, pallets to get under or on top of? It will make it look a bit more crowded, but it will give them more room, and places to get away from each other.

Definitely go with two feeders and waters, one where when a bird is eating, she is out of sight of the main feeder.

Good luck,
Mrs K
 
Thank you! We've got a great big yard and coop/run area, so that shouldn't be a problem. After a few days apart, they seem to be on fairly good terms again. They are all living together again but we are keeping tabs on them all. I'm not sure what happened between them but hopefully it doesn't happen again.
 

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