What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[ClaudetteDay]

hey everyone,

i've had the chickens for a few days now. and they're really giving each other a good fight!

 

one (sookie) of them was picking on two, but now she's stopped.

 

and now dolly is picking on lulu 24/7. so much,that lulu leaps herself at me in a chance to get away.

 

what do i do?

 

no blood has been drawn. but i feel it's only a matter of time until lulu starts to show signs of bleeding.and she hasn't given me an egg today.

 

i don't want to take lulu away, just in case they don't except her when i put her back.

i haven't let the chooks out of their run yet. i'm planning to do that at the weekend. it's still a bit too early. i was going to try and give it a go today, but it's terribly windy.

 

if you could give me some advice it would be much appreciated.

i don't want to lose my little lulu she's the sweetest out the bunch!

[Daffodill]

I had a pecking problem when I first got my 3 hens, one was alot younger and really got bullied so I decided to separate the younger one and bought one of her sisters to keep her company. The next day I tried them all together and everything was fine, the younger 2 go around together and the older ones leave them alone. I have to say I also put them in a larger run and I think it gave them more to do and so they are not so bored and also gives the younger ones chance to keep out of the way of the odd beak that comes their way. So maybe when your chickens have their run the problem will sort its self.

Good luck-I know how stressful it is when they not all getting on.

[chickyhazel]

If you must keep them all together spray lulu with anti-peck spray and treat all wounds with purple spray as chickens are attracted to red. You could try going out and spraying the peckers with water when you see them pecking. It normally works. If that fails you should separate lulu with a non-aggressive chicken for company then re-introduce her.

[sadietoo]

Just another idea that worked for me...change from pellets to mash..they spend longer filling their beaks with food and less time filling them with each other!!

[ClaudetteDay]

thanks everyone.

will definitely try the anti pecking spray and if that doesn't work, i'll separate them. it's getting worse as the day goes on. poor lulu is getting extremely stressed by it all.

 

thanks for the help

 

and i'll keep everyone up to date

[ClaudetteDay]

hi everyone here's an update.

 

i've ordered the anti pecking spray, and i'm still waiting for that to be delivered. but for just now, i've locked dolly (the aggressive chicken) inside the eglu away form the other two.

 

i've obviously put some food and water in there.

 

lulu is definitely looking much happier. and dolly..well..isn't pleased

 

do you think that's the right thing to do for just now? i would put dolly in a seperate run and cage, but we don't have one. just the eglu.

 

many thanks