Overcrowding can precipitate feather pecking and cannibalism. It is important to provide adequate space for each member of the flock to eat and drink. Failure to do so can encourage competition that may lead to cannibalism and cause more-dominant birds to keep others away from feed and water.
Boredom is another cause of pecking. In order to stop bullying due to boredom make sure to provide a stimulating environment which allows your chickens to be active and explore. If all else fails then you can use separation.
Often chickens will sense weakness or an injured flock member well before you do. If you suddenly notice your chickens picking on one hen, the first thing you should do is take a good look at that chicken. It could be that she's been hurt or injured, or is suffering from an illness.
Lack of Space
If overcrowding is the issue, you may have to separate your flock into two coops, build a bigger coop, or re-home some of them to help the situation. Making sure your chickens have plenty of space is one of the best ways you can keep them from bullying each other.
Chickens have an innate desire to peck for food, but if they are still hungry and the food is gone, they won't stop pecking. In order to stop them from eating each other, be sure to feed them healthy meals. A hungry and undernourished chicken can't be blamed for munching anything in sight.
Apply a concealing wound spray to reintegrate a healing bird. If you need or want to return the bird to the flock while it heals, use a wound spray that comes pre-dyed—they're usually blue or purple in color. The dye conceals the wound so that other chickens aren't encouraged to peck at it.
The arguments will continue for around 10 weeks in a female-only flock; expect it to last a few weeks longer if you are raising a group of males. The pecking order is an instinct, mostly related to feed but also water, nest boxes, perches and dust baths.
But it is necessary if you want to reset the pecking order. Separate the bullies from the general flock for at least three days. While the dominant birds are away, something interesting will happen. The remaining birds will reset the pecking order.
Whisk several drops of blue coloring and and several drops of lemon essential oil into a bowl of honey. Store the solution in a glass mason jar, squirt bottle or dispenser. You can dab the solution onto wounds or areas missing feathers with a cotton ball or squirt the solution over a larger area.
If possible, you should keep it in the house so that it can interact with you and your family in the absence of fellow chickens. It also helps if you have toys for them to play with, just like you would with a cat or dog. Toys involving food can be great fun for them.
Chickens possess instinctive protective abilities and would do anything to keep the flock well and safe. A sick member can be pecked at or driven away to protect others. Hens have been observed to even peck at sick pullets (baby chicks), sometimes leading to the latter's death.
Perhaps the most humane way to do this is to show dominance similarly to how you'd train a dog. For chicken domination, at first sign of attack, reach down, grab the bird by the feet, turn it upside down—ignore the squawking—and tuck it under your arm like a football.
HUMANS IN THE PECKING ORDER
If a particularly aggressive rooster or hen tries to challenge you, let them know you're the top bird. Never run from an attacking chicken. Instead, try to grab the chicken and hold it gently but firmly to the ground. Once it calms down, you can let it up again.
It can take quite a long time – up to 3 weeks for new chickens to get to like each other. Be patient. There will be pecking orders established so some pecking is okay. Just watch to make sure they aren't fighting for more than 20-30 seconds, drawing blood.
They will associate being in the coop with the predator and not want to enter. If it is one or two of the hens not going in, that's an indicator that is is down to bullying. If you notice that it is the girls at the bottom of the pecking order who refuse to go in at night, then this is likely to be the issue.
The pecking order can seem quite mean to us humans. Our instinct is to intervene and stop the bossy behavior. But it is necessary and natural. The more you step in and remove birds, the longer you prolong the inevitable.
If one of the low ranked chickens tries to feed before their leaders, they may get a nasty jab or peck to teach them a lesson. If a bird tries to go out of turn, she will earn glares, pecks and feather pulling from higher ranked hens. Establishing a pecking order can take anywhere from two days or up to two weeks.
For a hen that is really hurting other birds, it can help to pen her up for a few days to a few weeks. Place a separate pen inside your coop and keep the bossy bird separate from the others for a while. This way they can still see each other but she can't hurt anyone.
The pecking order theory states that a company should prefer to finance itself first internally through retained earnings. If this source of financing is unavailable, a company should then finance itself through debt. Finally, and as a last resort, a company should finance itself through the issuing of new equity.
The pecking order theory states that companies prioritize their sources of financing (from internal financing to equity) and consider equity financing as a last resort. Internal funds are used first, and when they are depleted, debt is issued.
Chickens are naturally inquisitive, but they don't have arms and hands to inspect things. They use their beaks to explore instead. So, why do chickens peck each other? Pecking is a natural chicken behavior that allows them to check out their surroundings, including their flock mates.
Additionally, you can put vaseline on any open wounds that continue to be pecked. This will seal the wound from potential bacterial exposure while discouraging other birds from continuing to peck that spot.
The Playpen Method is simple: allow the newbies and the original flock members to see and hear each other without having physical contact for a period of time. This allows both groups to familiarize themselves with one another while maintaining a “safe zone” for the new chickens.
When approaching a chicken, it's essential that you do not chase them. Chasing is going to stress them out and may make them skittish around you. Lowering yourself down to their level and offering a little bit of food or a treat can help encourage chickens to want to spend time with you!