why are my girls fighting?

Sue

Sue

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Two of my girls had a fight today. Why would they be doing this? They have been living together since day one and the pecking order is established. It. Was the second and third in line birds. I didn't see who started it or what it was about. One of them ended up with a damaged comb that I had to clean up and put wound powder on.
 
Just jostling for position in the pecking order Sue. Number 3 thought she should be number 2 and tried to prove it but number 2 was not moving over. Quite rare, usually just a peck but when one is slightly under the weather a lower one will challenge and we have had some real scraps in one coop.
 
Hi sue, Heirarchy within a flock isn't as rigid as you might think. All kinds of factors can affect how hens behave towards each other on a day to day basis. Old Age and it's associated infirmities,Young pullets experiencing Hormone surges,impending broodiness, stress levels, disease/Parasite burdens etc etc can cause a dominant bird to become fearful or a timid low ranking bird to become domineering. Shifts in the pecking order create a ripple effect through a flock causing birds to 'test' their position. In most cases this is very subtle, and disputes are settled by Posturing and 'staring', but if two females are pretty equally matched, a fight will ensue. As with your birds, this is usually results in a few missing feathers and the odd torn comb, quite natural behaviour and nothing to be to concerned about. As long as birds have plenty of room to avoid each other if need be, then incidents like this are soon forgotten, and the flock returns to normal.
 
Came home from work at lunchtime today and checked the hens. Good job I did as when I looked in the run I noticed the white feeder was covered in blood!! So much that it was running down the sides! My Buff Sussex's comb was covered in blood and this was running down her face! She had obviously been attacked and had been eating which is why the feeder was covered in her blood!!

It seems hardly a day goes by here without there being some sort of drama with my hens! I'm glad I've only got 6 because heaven knows what problems I would have if I had any more!!!!

I was in a rush to get back to work, but couldn't leave her covered in blood! Had to do a quick clean up of her and the feeder. But her comb wouldn't stop bleeding so I had to evict Potty Dotty from the cage she was in (trying to stop her being broody again!) and put this cage in the other run with the Buff Sussex in. She didn't think much of this and started to panic and make her comb bleed even more. So out she came and in went the Speckled Sussex (who was the one who had attached her. I know this because I have witnessed their fights over the last week). I managed to stop the bleeding and put lots of wound powder on it and left her with the others as I knew they wouldn't bother her. If the Speckled doesn't behave herself she is going to be put in the delinquent hens run with Potty Dotty and the Legbar!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)07
 
Ooh-aye!!! Things have been kicking off down in the run!! There is a school of thought that a greater number of hens kept together may diffuse aggression, so with more birds to interact with, aggressive or dominant hens have more targets, and so spend less time picking intense fights with just one or two individuals and spread the aggression with far less impact. Not sure if this works or not, but you rarely see serious squabbles amongst Large flocks of hens. Of course this theory is only ok to test , if you have the space and time to care for large numbers of chickens, which most of us don't!! but I'm sure things will settle down in time Sue!

I wouldn't worry to much about Comb injuries, they always bleed profusely, and often look far worse than they actually are. In the bad old days when Males of certain breeds were dubbed, cockerels would resume service as normal, virtually immediately after having their Combs, wattles and earlobes removed with scissors or a Razor blade, and be completely healed in a few days, but it's always a good idea to have the wound powder or purple spray to hand as a precaution.
 
If you have enough room Sue you can double up on feeders and drinkers which are the 'friction' areas. Squabbles usually start with a lower hen eating at the same time as a higher ranking hen. Also the nest boxes. If you only have one I've seen a hen forced out and a fight start -they won't queue.
 
Interesting what you say LordCluck about the more hens you have the less squabbling. I thought it would cause more squabbling, but I suppose if they have enough space, it makes sense.

This has all started since Tilly was taken out when she was ill! At the same time I also took one of the feeders out because I didn't think they needed two feeders with only four birds, so I just left the large feeder. The fighting I have witnessed wasn't about food as far as I could tell as they were outside wandering around the garden, nowhere near the feeder or water.

They have two nest boxes, but seem to favour one for some reason.

Anyway, I replaced the second feeder this morning. Went down to check an hour later and would you believe it, there was blood all over it!!!!

Luckily it just seems to be her comb that is being injured and nothing more serious. I'm a little worried about it happening while I'm not here though!
 
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