[kerrie77]

hi all..i new new to keeping chickens,i need a bit of advice,i got 4 chickens in a 8ft chickencoop with a 10ft by 10ft extra run,had them bout a month now all has been fine till last wk,
let then out their nesting box and found one chicken been pecked at really bad at back area to the point of feathers gone and a nasty bleeding wound,i separated her in another pen while I treated the wound and gave it time to heal,then another hen was being pecked at same area caught her in time a little wound but blood was showing so I put her in same pen as the other poorly one.for few days all is happy.
yesterday the wounds looked good just a bold spot so I put the hens back watched them for few hrs all was fine went in bed no problem,
till thismorning let them out and the first one that was pecked so bad was had again in the nesting box,a bleeding wound again,
in the 10 by 10 pen not a problem only when in nesting box,i checked them late last nite and all was quite..

I only thing I can think of is leave the door open to the nesting box so the minute its light they come out.....
I don't know how to sort this or why they attacking.........

[ANHBUC]

Hello Kerrie77 and welcome to the site.

I would check for lice and mites on your hens and in your coop. 

You also need to have grit and oyster shell available for them as well as pellets.  The grit for their digestive system and the oyster shell for the egg shell production.  If they have a deficiency they will feather peck so make sure they have the right food for their age.  Chick crumb for the first 6 to 8 weeks, then growers pellets until they come in to lay when you can change over to layers pellets. 

Check that the coop has enough ventilation as the warm weather would make them hot and grumpy and they can get respiratory problems.  I leave my coop door open as they are in a secure run. 

I would use Purple spray to hide the wound as they will be attracted to the blood, it is also antiseptic.   

[kerrie77]

hi thanks for the welcome,they about 25 wks old,got them at point of lay and since day one of bringing um home they layed eggs,at mo I feed um layers pellets and grit mixed in, rocket+brocili as treats aswell as the hang up coconuts that got seed+bugs in.
did notice one hen plucking and eating the feathers,they was mite dusted a month ago when I first got them,
i will go check for mites and in coop too,
i will have ago at leaving the door open to nest box tonite the outer big run is open on top but its 4 or 5ft high,would that be ok....

[kerrie77]

what are the colour mites have i gotta look out for....
my other half has just been and brought the anti pecking spray is that the same as the purple spray...

[loretta cluck]

Just a thought - is the hen thats getting pecked laying soft shelled eggs?  I had a similar problem with one of my girls being pecked around her vent - she was laying quite a few soft shelled eggs, and when she was struggling to lay them, sometimes standing up, the other hens got into the habit of waiting in anticipation around her back end, for the egg to come out, and having a peck.  I put her on a calcium supplement, (she was already having plenty of greens, her layers, oyster shell and grit), and once her shells had hardened up, the other hens stopped bothering her.

Re the coconut shell filled treat - the suet fat is not good for them - apologies if this isnt the sort you mentioned.

[kerrie77]

no she laying good size hard shell eggs.where is been badly pecked is like top of thigh near top of tail..

had a scout for mites cant find any,but I gonna dust um to be on safe side,they do like to bath in a cat box with sand and rolling around in the loose top soil  flicking it all in the feathers,is that a sign for mites or is it just natural thing they do.
ar right I double check the coconut if its got suet in,i know its seeds corn bugs and mealworms.
am I doing right by separating her or should I put her back dueing the day but nite put her separate.??

sorry for the questions I new at this and plus having the kids involved with the hens they can learn too.....

[ANHBUC]

I would put the grit in a separate pot and they will help themselves.  They do need crushed oyster shell as well.

There is some information and photos of lice/mites on HERE  and more information on red mites on HERE

Some people use anti pecking spray but most have said it didn't do much good so let us know if it works for you. 

A fox would be able to get in to your run so best not leave the door open.  If you can separate her on a night that might be best until she heals enough for them to lose interest.

[Sassy]

If it isn't lice and the pecking continues it would be good to try and find out if it is one hen doing the pecking and remove her for a couple of weeks. Then when you put her back in she will be at the bottom of the pecking order and it should help to break the habit

[kerrie77]

things were going good,gave it few days of the poorly one in her own pen till the blood and soreness went abit ,been putting Sudafed cream on by someones tip,starting putting her back in main pen with others dueing the daybut back in her own pen at night,
today while went in to make kids lunch 2 hens attacked her same place as I went out they was like feathers+wings out attacking like cocks do.....so back in poorly pen she stays.
really don't know what to do,
do I rehome the poorly one or rehome the 2attackers,or devide the big pen into 2,have 2 hens in each...my 3rd hen leaves her alone....

though hens was easy to keep....

[ANHBUC]

They really do sound aggressive birds kerrie77, it could just be the wound that is attracting them but it doesn't sound likely.  It could be in their nature or breeding so you will have to decide if you are keeping them or not.  They only other thing would be to remove one of the bullies to see if that makes a difference (gang mentality). 

[kerrie77]

over the weekend I divided the big pen into 2 so the poorly one is by their side, once the wound is totally healed I'll put her back,then i'll swich and put the biggest bully on her own for while..thats the plan....lol
checked for eggs thismorning and found a soft shell egg been eaten also yesterday while a divided the pen up the big bully spent all afternoon in the sleeping box.
thinking now soft egg and hiding is she broddy might exsplan the behaviour..??
but I not 100% sure the big bully done the soft egg as 3 hens share the home...

[ANHBUC]

If she has a deficiency she would feather peck which could explain it.  Some hens have a problem absorbing calcium which can lead to softies.  Dark green vegetables will help with calcium absorption.