WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY CHICKENS BUTT??

[PsychoChickenLady]

hey is it possible this a pecking order issue? does she ever get picked on?

Thanks for asking. I actually just replied to the same question in the comment below yours.

The short answer is I don't think so, not unusually so, and certainly less than some of the others.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

She should be okay. The cortisone cream should help. How cold does the coop get?

That's a good question. I'll have to take a thermometer down there. I can say that even at -20, I can just sit down there with them, for over an hour, so it can't get THAT cold.

There's 10 of them, (I read that's the equivalent of a 100W bulb, plus the two 60W bulbs in the water heater, plus whatever "energy" their droppings create) so I don't think it ever gets unbearably cold for them. (I've already told my husband that if it goes below -40⁰C, they are ALL coming in the house for the night)! We have the dog crate, but I'll pitch a tent if I have to!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The only time I've seen "excessive or unusual" pecking was last Saturday, when we installed their droppings board. They all seemed out of sorts and took it out in each other.

This girl is firmly in the top five, and doesn't tolerate much crap from any of the others, not even the ones above her.

Even a hen in the top five can get plucked while roosting.
Are they mainly staying inside the coop during the day since it's so cold?

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

How cold does the coop get?

I wanted to get a couple of readings to get a good range, and this morning, at -17⁰C (-26⁰C with the windchill), the coop was -15⁰C. Last night, after a full, relatively nice day of -7 to -5, the coop was 5⁰ warmer. (I'm curious now to see if/how much hotter the cup gets in the hight of summer).

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

Even a hen in the top five can get plucked while roosting.
Are they mainly staying inside the coop during the day since it's so cold?

When the days are below -15⁰C they do stay in more. I've tried to provide boredom busters (toys, distractions, hiding food, etc.) but I have noticed an increase in ALL of their, "pecky-ness" ~ and you're right, even the top two are getting a nasty poke here and there. But that's just it, for all of them, it's more, "poking" than, "plucking." (I understand that could still injure them, but doesn't really explain ALL the feather loss).

The only thing that I do know, is that I didn't know what I don't know, and that's overwhelming at times. I'm not sure when they could be plucking each other's, or their own feathers out. I stay with them until they settle on the roost, now one level for the past week ~ OMG could that be why they are pecking each other more??!!??

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

I took some measurements. The coop is 7'x8' - (the roof is slanted, so it's not the same height from back to front, but it's higher than 7' at it's lowest and around 10' at it's highest). The attached run is 7x12 (about 6-7' high, covered). And again, we have 3 nesting boxes.

That should be ok for our 10, shouldn't it?