Kanthaka
12-07-2009, 02:14 PM
My barred Plymouth rock has suddenly, just starting today, begun to pick on my Delaware hen. She drives my Delaware from herself and my one other chicken and mercilessly beats on her. Since this is a completely new development I don't know what to think. They have free ranged harmoniously until just this morning. In fact, I thought my Delaware was the alpha hen.
The only two circumstances that have changed are that my barred rock only just started laying (in December!) and I started giving them scratch last night. Could the extra carbs in the scratch be making my barred rock so nasty? I thought scratch was a good before roosting/bedtime treat that helped them keep warm through the night. I am not sure what to do about this. Right now my barred rock is in unhappily in time out in her coop so the Delaware can free range in peace. Can't we all get along?
Karen from the Erie, PA Poultry Underground
The only two circumstances that have changed are that my barred rock only just started laying (in December!) and I started giving them scratch last night. Could the extra carbs in the scratch be making my barred rock so nasty? I thought scratch was a good before roosting/bedtime treat that helped them keep warm through the night. I am not sure what to do about this. Right now my barred rock is in unhappily in time out in her coop so the Delaware can free range in peace. Can't we all get along?
Karen from the Erie, PA Poultry Underground