Little peckers

[gryeyes]

Quote:
4 square feet per bird is for interior coop space only, so they also need outside run space to supplement that. If they are in the coop all the time, the minimum changes to 10 square feet per standard (sized) breeds. But you have 13 square feet, so that exceeds the minimum.

They could still be very bored. And hungry.

The hanging cabbage (I call it "Tether Cabbage") tactic works well, AND I would also make sure there are at least two waterers and two feeders, because that's where a lot of pecking goes on, through some birds hogging the feeders and waterers.

Wishing you all the best in solving the problem!!

 

[math ace]

I use the following recommendations for allocating spacing in my runs....




Minimum Space Requirements for Poultry

Type of Poultry Bird Sq Ft / Inside Coop Sq Ft / Outside in a Run

Bantam Chickens 1 4
Layer Hens 2 8
Large Chickens 2 10
Quail 1 4
Pheasants 5 25
Ducks 3 15


I found this information at http://poultryone.com/articles/housing.html.
The following is a quote from that link :

The more space you give your chickens, the happier and healthier they'll be. Generally, chickens should get a minimum of 2 square feet per chicken unless you're raising bantam chickens, which only need 1.5 square feet. Tempting as it may be, don't cram more chickens into your chicken coop than the coop can hold. Overcrowded birds are more susceptible to health problems like cannibalism and disease.

The only time I have ever had picking is when the birds were crowded. I found that my leghorns were super senstive to being crowded.
They would turn nasty in a minute when quarters were tight. Then when provided some extra square footage they were the best behaved in the group.

The above are min. They are not the recommended or preferred housing arrangements. More is always better. I know if my birds are naughty, that it is either time to start selling a couple or start building some new coops. LOL

I am at 50 birds now and 5 coops.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do!

 

[Felony]

I am farely new at chicken keeping, but i read alot about it to try to do as best i can, and in a book i have home (barnyard in your backyard) i read that pecking in chicks can also happen if they are too hot, or if there is too much bright light...i dont know what your lighting situation is but maybe you could use a red lightbulb and try to see if your chickens are not too hot?...just my thoughts on what i've read

 

[math ace]

Quote:
This is true, but at 12 weeks of age chicks are not normally still under the lights.

 

[Debbiedodo]

My chickens started pecking when one was injured and I didn't remove her quick enough. They pecked a hole in her while I was gone for a few hours and I had to put her out of her misery. Since then, they have continued to peck feathers from each other. I got some pinless peepers and that helped and feathers started to grow back. Now, the pecking has picked up again, despite the peepers. I think if we free ranged, they would be too busy to peck each other but we have too many preditors for that. Bordom is definitly a factor, but once it is started, feather pecking becomes a habit that is hard to break. I may just start over with new chicks next spring depending on how bad the pecking is this winter. This is my first year with chickens and I am learning a lot. Good luck.

 

[Felony]

Quote:
This is true, but at 12 weeks of age chicks are not normally still under the lights.

very true