Hello, my name is Michelle and I am from Langley, British Columbia, Canada. This is my first time on this website and I have found the information so far to be very helpful. I am having problems with my chickens. I have 24 chickens in a small converted barn. One portion of the barn is approximately 10 x 10 with 16 roosting boxes, a couple of long perches, their food, water and oyster shells. The other portion of the barn is a covered area, again about 10 x 10, with a dirt floor and open sides (the bottoms with wood and about 2 feet and up to the ceiling with chicken wire). My chickens are constantly pecking at eachother and yesterday one of the chickens was bleeding from her back end. We separated her for the day to nurse her back to health and when we put her back with the other chickens they immediatley started pecking at her back end. Now we know how she started bleeding in the first place. My questions are: is the space that we have for them too small? Do they need to free range and if so, how big of a space do we need to allow them to free range? How do I get them back into the coop at night when they are out in the yard? Do I need to slaughter this hen that I have separated? Or can I put her back in a couple of days. If I slaughter her can she be eaten?
Also, if we don't get the eggs soon enough after the chickens have layed them (I am in the coop every hour or so) some the eggs have been pecked and sometimes eaten by the other chicken(s). Is this normal? What can I do to prevent this?
I know that I have alot of questions. Thanks in advance for any information given.

Way too crowded for 24 birds, unless they have free range or large outside runs for the day time. That is why you have egg-eaters, and you will continue to have birds damaging one another. The hen that was damaged, may well never fit back into the flock, she is now afraid, and a chicken that shows timidness or fear is usually set-upon immediately. Yes, she can be eaten, but if she more than 6 month or so old, she must be stewed, or softly boiled for a long time (wonderful broth) with dumplings, celery, onions, or similar recipe. You have a lot of problems to work out, you mention roosting boxes??? Are these the same as your nesting boxes? The long perches may well be the night roosts, and should have a droppings board underneath to collect the considerable nighttime poop. A day roost at a lower elevation, may well give some of the birds a little relief from the crowded condition. You might like to brouse the website: http://poplaracre.com/SSCoopEssentials.html for some ideas on how to arrange your space for better management of your hens. Good luck, CJR

Hi, I am new to this board and new to chicken raising. so far we are doing ok! I am about to clip some wings and attempt to let my chickens range about the yard a little. They will come back to their coop, won't they? I have enjoyed cjeanr responses and have learned alot. Thanks so much for all of your knowledge. C