why wont my pecking order calm down?!

[Johnn]

my new hens this year came in fought for a place in the pecking order bth orpingtons dethroned the queen but other hens are above them and they are above others aswell, now one of them is slowly working up to being queen. I might see how the new hen gets on first but will spray her if she goes bad... but might just do the spray to be safe...

 

[donrae]

Sounds like you have plenty of feeding stations but do you have enough food? I put out enough for 24 hours, so there's no fuss or drama cause everyone's still full when I feed again.

 

[Johnn]

they free range all day then are fed in the afternoon and there is always left overs

 

[Johnn]

they free range all day then are fed in the afternoon and there is always left overs

 

[Johnn]

I watched them today and one big problem is my cockerel, he keeps the biggest feeder with the most food into him self and wont let another hen in and beats them away, then he will leave the feeder and go run and peck everyone for their feeder, he is the only cockerel. Im thinking of what to do and i might try feeding hen that get along in different places. Like i could put the big feeder in the shed and have 7 hens happily eat together, then a hen and her two chicks out of the feeding oen in the feild with a bowl of food then the other 4 hens can stay in the feeding pen with 2 feeders to the 4 of them.

 

[Johnn]

I have decided to dig this thread out to tell you all, they still haven't calmed down. If anything they have got worse. I found one of my favourite hens completely beat up today . I really don't know what their problem is, they are fed plenty (there is always left overs) and they have plenty of space:

 

[JTifft]

I watched them today and one big problem is my cockerel, he keeps the biggest feeder with the most food into him self and wont let another hen in and beats them away, then he will leave the feeder and go run and peck everyone for their feeder, he is the only cockerel. Im thinking of what to do and i might try feeding hen that get along in different places. Like i could put the big feeder in the shed and have 7 hens happily eat together, then a hen and her two chicks out of the feeding oen in the feild with a bowl of food then the other 4 hens can stay in the feeding pen with 2 feeders to the 4 of them.

Maybe this one needs to be re located or tabled.

 

[Johnn]

Maybe this one needs to be re located or tabled.

Its not the cockerel anymore, he's turned out to be great. Its the hens!