Bullies Abound - Please Help

[lexi_lulu]

Last week I had the horror of finding one of my RIR half dead in my run, as I was putting away the hens for the night. Her back half was bloody and raw. She was missing most of her feathers. Despite my efforts, she didn't make it through the night. This hen always seemed like an outcast in the flock, so as horrible as it was to lose her in such a cruel way, I was hoping it was an isolated incident.

I was wrong.

Today I found two more hens that have (much smaller) patches of raw and bloody skin on their back, in the same spot as my other hen. I think I may have found the main bully, who I have isolated in the garage but I am suspicious that there are multiple bullies at this point. Any time I see a hen behaving with feather plucking, should I put in the isolation kennel with the other bully? I think there may be 2 - 3 more hens feather plucking. Do they all need separate isolation areas? I'm terrified about losing more hens to this violent behavior but I don't know how best to proceed.

*****As a separate note, I currently feed 16% protein layer feed. I have a lot of 12 hens now and no roosters. Coop is 8ft x 10ft and the run is 10ft by 32ft. I've started giving them extra protein everyday but the behavior is still happening. I don't think it's a space or nutritional issue.

 

[DemeterAD9]

I feel it would take a little while for the change in diet to affect their behavior, probably a few weeks even. 16% is bare minimum for protein IMO. I personally offer 17% mash free choice while also giving them a bowl of 20% chick starter and/or game bird feed as moistened mash daily. They also get whatever bird seed spills on the ground, the rare handful of peanuts, whatever they find while foraging (they got a mouse today) and left over whatever is in the fridge (cooked squirrel is in their future). My birds free range though so there is plenty of room for them to get away from a bully so I’ve never seen injuries from other birds except when a cockerels gets overly amorous.

I’ve only had feather plucking/eating once and that was when I had 21 chicks in a brooder and accidentally let them run out of food for ONE morning. They ate the growing tail feathers in the largest chick so he was a bit bloody for a couple days. Haven’t had issues since.

I would change their feed to something like chick starter or all flock while offering a separate bowl of oyster shell for calcium. If the behavior continues after a few weeks and it really is just one or two hens doing the attacking then I would cull those problem birds. You can try and the time-out chicken jail but I don’t know if that would work. Make a hearty dinner out of them if they can’t play nice.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most cannibalism starts as a protein deficiency or from crowding, and boredom, and can quickly escalate once they get the taste of blood. What breeds? I find higher production breeds can be more susceptible to protein deficiencies. Keep up the higher protein, and remove any you see doing the pecking. You can also try pinless peepers.

 

[lexi_lulu]

Most cannibalism starts as a protein deficiency or from crowding, and boredom, and can quickly escalate once they get the taste of blood. What breeds? I find higher production breeds can be more susceptible to protein deficiencies. Keep up the higher protein, and remove any you see doing the pecking. You can also try pinless peepers.

I have RIR, Golden Buffs, and a Black Sexlink. The Sexlink is one of the bullying victims. Another RIR is the other bullying victim.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have RIR, Golden Buffs, and a Black Sexlink. The Sexlink is one of the bullying victims. Another RIR is the other bullying victim.

Those are all what I consider vigorous breeds and can be prone to that type of behavior. I no longer keep any sex links due to this kind of issue. If you want to keep them I would try the peepers, and make sure to feed that higher protein ration going forward.

 

[FrostRanger]

It's better to just feed a higher protein feed than trying to supplement a lower protein feed with other things. If you aren't careful, the stuff you're supplementing with might cause them have other things thrown out of balance. Simplest solution is to feed a 20% all flock with oyster shell on the side

I think you're probably going to need to put pinless peepers on everyone while their bodies build up more protein

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I have never regretted culling a bully.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you're probably going to need to put pinless peepers on everyone while their bodies build up more protein

try those!