Re: Bullying in the Coop

Jewels wrote:
<I have snipped the bit above to keep it readable on usenet>
Hi Jill,

They are all hybrids, 3 are columbian blacktails, 3 rhode island red
and 2 white sex linked [one of which is top hen and the other is the
one being bullied].

I am in Kent, England.

Wet, Sunny, Windy, Dry, in other words variable, warm and wet at the
moment

There pen is around 3-1/2 metres squared but I let them out most days
to free range for an hour or so in our large back garden/yard.

ooooh - your problem is space.
Its one of the oddities of chicken behaviour that if you confine two birds
closely together that they will put up with each other for 18 months, in
general without too much problem.
However, give a number of birds a bit more space but not enough to get away
from each other and they can become really horrible.
11.5 feet by 11.5 feet is tiny as a full time, non-changing, space for 8
mixed breed chickens, I am afraid.
And therein lies your problem.
Chickens are the most terrible bullies.

Can I ask why you only let them out for such a short time?
If you have a large back garden I would really recommend you let them out
all day.
You have a mixed flock of breeds and therefore characters.
You have shown them that there is a fun world out there, which is full of
goodies to see, do and eat yet they are deprived of it, except for such a
tiny part of the day.
All and every bit of frustration can only be directed at each other. They
need to get away from each other
If its day time predators then invest in some electric netting to make a
protective pen.
If its a worry about the damage to the garden then you have too many birds
for the space they are being offered and you may need to consider finding
homes for a few.
8 hens is a lot of birds for most domestic situations.

The feeding sounds okay --- lack of protein can sometimes be a cause of
aggression.

Another consideration is what is the pen floor made up of?
If it was grass it will be bare now - yes?
If so what are you going to be doing with it?
Bare soil and chickens in the UK climate is a major no-no as it will become
bacteria soup very quickly.

Sorry to be the harbinger of tough news but hopefully we can help you solve
your problem.

--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk


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