- Jul 13, 2017
- 20
- 17
- 84
The last 2 days when I have come home from work the chickens are in their outside run waiting for me to give them their scratch. I then go in the barn to gather eggs for the day and anything else needed. Both days they have pinned the same hen down and have been pecking on her head. Tonight they did it as well when they are all outside free ranging.
Back info: 2 flocks of chickens introduced this year in January, for a little over a month they shared the same chicken wire dividers while they got used to each other. On each side there is an inside run, then the coop area, both of which are in my pole barn and then an outside run. Sometime in February they were introduced just outside while free ranging, and they all went back to their own side at night. My first hens are 4 Sapphire Jems, the new flock is 4 Buff Orpington, 2 Black Australope, 2 Ameraucana and 1 Plymouth Barred Rock. All of the chickens are about 2 1/2 years old. The Plymouth Rock is the one being picked on. Yesterday I only saw the Sapphire Jems after her, but both times today memebers of her own flock were too.
They have been in lock down with no free ranging for a little over a week, because one of my Sapphire Gems was taken by a hawk. After this started yesterday, I started letting them back out in the evenings. Today I also added a fake owl to the yard, which we plan to move daily. My husband put up a little wooden tent like towards the back of the property so if the girls go back there they have a shelter, since this was where the hen was taken from. I also have a radio playing out the back door of the barn.
Back to my Plymouth Rock. I have been reading and did come up with putting some Vicks on here hear for tonight that's the only thing I saw that I have here. My husband wants to let her out of the run/coops during the day so she is just free in the barn. Not sure it's completley safe and wonder about her being picked on more once she is back with them. Advice?
Back info: 2 flocks of chickens introduced this year in January, for a little over a month they shared the same chicken wire dividers while they got used to each other. On each side there is an inside run, then the coop area, both of which are in my pole barn and then an outside run. Sometime in February they were introduced just outside while free ranging, and they all went back to their own side at night. My first hens are 4 Sapphire Jems, the new flock is 4 Buff Orpington, 2 Black Australope, 2 Ameraucana and 1 Plymouth Barred Rock. All of the chickens are about 2 1/2 years old. The Plymouth Rock is the one being picked on. Yesterday I only saw the Sapphire Jems after her, but both times today memebers of her own flock were too.
They have been in lock down with no free ranging for a little over a week, because one of my Sapphire Gems was taken by a hawk. After this started yesterday, I started letting them back out in the evenings. Today I also added a fake owl to the yard, which we plan to move daily. My husband put up a little wooden tent like towards the back of the property so if the girls go back there they have a shelter, since this was where the hen was taken from. I also have a radio playing out the back door of the barn.
Back to my Plymouth Rock. I have been reading and did come up with putting some Vicks on here hear for tonight that's the only thing I saw that I have here. My husband wants to let her out of the run/coops during the day so she is just free in the barn. Not sure it's completley safe and wonder about her being picked on more once she is back with them. Advice?
