Farm I need some advice with one of my chickens

C

Coulter

Veteran Member
I got one chicken 6 weeks ago and then got 3 more from the same person - they all grew up together. Roade Island Reds.

The new 3 pick on my first one - not as bad as in the beginning - had them a week and a half.

She is smaller.

I try to keep them separate - to some degree - but in the morning I struggle trying to identify my first chicken until it's too late.

So here is what I want to try - and that is spray painting just a little squirt on her end feathers ( as minimum as I can ) - good idea - or not?

I am just concerned that it will make her a bigger target than she already is.

Thanks
 
P

Publius

TB Fanatic
Find some bright colored ribbon and go in after it gets dark and tie it to one of her legs, not too tight and don't leave too long either.
 
Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
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There will always be one at the bottom off the pecking order. I make sure mine have plenty of room in the pen so they can get away from the bullies.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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Cardinal said:
There will always be one at the bottom off the pecking order. I make sure mine have plenty of room in the pen so they can get away from the bullies.
Click to expand...
Yeah, this. If you aren't free ranging them, nipping a TINY bit off the beaks of the aggressive hens will mitigate the damage they can do. Basically, you just want to blunt the tips a bit.

But Cardinal is right... there always is one on the bottom of the pecking order. And they have to sort it out... separating them, even briefly, leads to them fighting it out all over again. I've never had an uninjured one be harassed badly enough to have to remove them, but we had a large pen and outdoor enclosure for them.

Summerthyme
 
Walrus Whisperer

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
I would put a smallish dot of magic marker on one of her legs, about the ankle height. Small but easy so you can identify her, it's not toxic. I would put it on the outside of the ankle, so you can see it easily. Even on one of her toes might be even better. You don't want something they will go after her even more.
 
C

Coulter

Veteran Member
summerthyme said:
Yeah, this. If you aren't free ranging them, nipping a TINY bit off the beaks of the aggressive hens will mitigate the damage they can do. Basically, you just want to blunt the tips a bit.

But Cardinal is right... there always is one on the bottom of the pecking order. And they have to sort it out... separating them, even briefly, leads to them fighting it out all over again. I've never had an uninjured one be harassed badly enough to have to remove them, but we had a large pen and outdoor enclosure for them.

Summerthyme
Click to expand...
Ok

They are not free range - way too many predators. This is my first time with chickens. I let them out every night for a couple of hours. The pen is 20' by 15'. The chicken house is 9' by 8' which is elevated couple of feet and they use that area under the shed as well.

Is this big enough? I could make it bigger.

When I say predators - in the last 5 weeks or so I have caught and shot - 36 coons - 2 skunks - 2 possums. Caught 3 coons just last night. All with in 20 feet or much less of the chicken house.
 
C

Coulter

Veteran Member
Walrus Whisperer said:
Also give her places to hide if she wants, lean a piece of plywood up against the fencing or the coop. Or several.
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I will give this a try, seems like I saw a pen where somebody had an old chair in it - I wonder if something like that would work - or maybe an elevated branch - couple of feet high - like they use to roost on.
 
Hogwrench

Hogwrench

Senior Member
What we do is put a small zip tie on one leg when we need to identify them. Leave plenty of space as they grow too fast. Just enough to keep from falling off. Just make sure it is not red. Trim the excess off the zip tie.

We have different colored bands so if we need to mark several. We have one right now that we call Runt. She gets pecked by the others but that is just part of the pecking order. We had a smaller one a few years ago that was much smaller than the rest. Then after a while she was on the top roost because she learned from them how to fight for her spot.
 
Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Membership Revoked
I have roosters ... yeah that's plural. There aren't enough hens for all to be
happy couples so, not always but they tend to be aggressive towards each
other and a bit rough on the hens.

I tell 'em in a stern voice not to do that and grab 'em up by their tail feathers
firmly hold 'em at the breast beneath their wings and let 'em squawk 'n flap 'n kick
for a minute or so. Then I fold them wings down, roll 'em onto their back, look 'em
in the eye and say "I mean it!" Back to their normal orientation and I'll stoke 'em
a bit and after a final word set 'em on the ground.

During this process those that were being imposed upon have the opportunity
to run, scatter and hide themselves for a bit.

O.W.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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Coulter said:
I will give this a try, seems like I saw a pen where somebody had an old chair in it - I wonder if something like that would work - or maybe an elevated branch - couple of feet high - like they use to roost on.
Click to expand...
I was going to second this. And yes, your setup sounds ideal. Honestly, chickens are the mean girls from junior high! You brought a clique home, and your poor home schooled sweetie got mugged! One other thing- make sure there are at least 2 feeders and waterers... I once lost some younger chicks in a pen of mixed ages (oldest to youngest probably an age gap of 4 weeks). The older birds literally starved the younger ones out. I caught it early, added a couple more feeders and a second waterer, and it solved the problem.

Summerthyme
 
Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
Oscar Wilde said:
I have roosters ... yeah that's plural. There aren't enough hens for all to be
happy couples so, not always but they tend to be aggressive towards each
other and a bit rough on the hens.

I tell 'em in a stern voice not to do that and grab 'em up by their tail feathers
firmly hold 'em at the breast beneath their wings and let 'em squawk 'n flap 'n kick
for a minute or so. Then I fold them wings down, roll 'em onto their back, look 'em
in the eye and say "I mean it!" Back to their normal orientation and I'll stoke 'em
a bit and after a final word set 'em on the ground.

During this process those that were being imposed upon have the opportunity
to run, scatter and hide themselves for a bit.

O.W.
Click to expand...
I, too, have a plurality of roosters.
But I bought 4 more pullets, so it should eventually solve the problem that China has-too many umarrried males.
 
C

cowboy

Veteran Member
What! You pulling his tail feathers too?

I never raised Peacocks but free range a dozon or so chickens and seem to always end up with two or three roosters. On about 9 months they start picking on me in the yard. If I don't want molested while crossing the yard, I have to do a rooster strut with lots of emphasis.
 
Cardinal

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
cowboy said:
What! You pulling his tail feathers too?

I never raised Peacocks but free range a dozon or so chickens and seem to always end up with two or three roosters. On about 9 months they start picking on me in the yard. If I don't want molested while crossing the yard, I have to do a rooster strut with lots of emphasis.
Click to expand...
I just chase mine around the yard with a rake. It's good exercise.
 
West

West

Senior
Just fixed a AC, that a peacock was roosting on. When it cycled on a majority of its tail feathers got caught up in the condenser fan.

Almost burnt up the condenser fan motor.
 
Walrus Whisperer

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
Don't ever go into the chicken yard with a dish towel you forgot is over your shoulder. Roosters think it's a strange chicken and attack you!
 
Marie

Marie

Veteran Member
I have about 15 roosters. Which most are young and I need to butcher. But if any of them start to posture me they get caught and carried around with me all day. If they are still aggressive after that they're kicked hard really hard, like kicking a fieldgoal. I only have to do that once and they learn
 
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