Topic: feather pecking!

[steve76]

Hi all
I have a problem with the one hen feather pecking the others, its starting to to make the others look very bald and sore,  I have tried the anti pecking sprays but it dont stop this one hen!!! any ideas on what else i can do please??

 Thanks Steve.

[Bonsai Si]

Grab the bully and have Chicken roast on Sunday? :o

[steve76]

The kids would never forgive me

[BarriedaleNick]

How long has this been going on?

[Bonsai Si]

The kids would never forgive me

Just don't tell them, blame it on a fox. ;)

[pumkinlover]

Have you tried the nicotine spray?
Have they enough space so the victims can get away?
Distractions like CD's and cabbage dangling from above can help.
Some people chickens are just like that 

[goodlife]

Repeating what others have said....

..re; space, if their living area is too small for their 'egos'...no manner of spray will help them. If it is down to behavioural issues in general...then giving them something to do and keeping them 'busy' migh be the answer. These issues may arise when they get bored.
But, sadly there is always chance that you might just have one that is truly a bully and they won't be distracted from their bad habits. Don't go and wring her neck quite yet...try to remedy what you can at first and see if it makes any difference.
If it is possibility...you could even try 'naming and shaming'...by taking her out of the main area but still nearby..eg. small cage for couple of days at the time, like a 'naughty girl's corner' It might put her bit lower down in pecking order, for time being at least, so she is behaving less aggressively. BUT, don't try it 'just for sake of it'...use it as 'almost last result'...as any disturbance in their order can cause further squabbles between others if unlucky.
Oh...just 'one' question...does the bully allow others to feed normally? Are they all same size/age/breed? What do you feed your girls with? If they get too much 'empty calories'...pasta, bread, potatoes = 'fast food' in chicken menu, they will like it but it doesn't satisfy their nutritional needs. Make them too 'fat' with some 'good and wholesome' food and it will slow down their laying..'not enough' something and it can turn them to source it from somewhere where they can get it...hence feather pecking....
I had once one girl that I thought was feather pecking because it was bit 'evil'...but once she got extra protein in her diet..she wasn't bothered with feathers anymore..she was just trying to balance her nutritional needs. I remedied this by digging worms from the plot, giving crushed snails and then friend of mine,'old' bird keeper mentioned that I could try soaking some 'complete dog food biscuits' (protein content around20% and preferably no poultry mentioned in label) in hot water to soften them..cool them and giving good handful of these soaked ones per few birds couple of times a day.  And they were ravenous for them... I should have tought of the protein bit sooner as they were telling it to me by 'hunting' live mouse, beating it into 'pulp' with their beaks...fighting over the prepared 'mince meat' and then one of them managed to snatch it and swallowed the lump of mouse mince in whole!!!! That's nature for you....they do what they need to do...I saw them doing it for several little mouse babies that was nesting under the shed and wondered out into new world...their lives didn't last very long.
So now I'm buying packet or two of 'lamb and rice dog biscuits' per laying season for my girls (no need for them during winter months)and give odd handful every now and them as 'special treat' (maybe once a week or so and bit more when they molt)...all the effort they make for laying their 'daily eggs' is huge task for their bodies and since mine are not free rangers and able to forage all the 'living creatures' for their diet themselves, I have to supply as varied diet for them as I possibly can. I find the recommended 'layers pellets/mash, some corn, few treats and some greens' is not always enough....particularly when moulting time comes. I've had several different mongrels and breeds and generally they've all been fed similar manner, but there definitely has been difference for their dietary needs..+ some have been more fussier with their food and others were happy to eat anything and everything... It really 'pays' to know your girls well and it can be quite learning curve too....

Edit to add....I need to add that I don't eat my chickens...they are just for the eggs and their poo....I would not feed them with dog bickies if the birds flesh would be for human consumption.

[steve76]

Hi all and thanks for the replys very informative,
Ok to answer some of your questions i only have 3 hens at the moment they are in a 10 foot square run with a coop in one corner, they are all of the same age but different breads.. they are up my allotment now as off middle of march, they were in the back garden over winter in just the coop with the run of the back garden most days, this was where the feather pecking started !!!
s for food and boredom, they have 2 drinkers opposite ends and 2 feeders with layers pellets opposite ends and get daily fresh greens, at the moment its from the caulis im cutting i dig over the ground for then to scratch at and they have straw on the floor to scratch in with grain thrown in daily...  as a treat i hang up sweetcorn,apples, pears etc a couple of times a week???? i think all that should keep then happy but this one hen still feather pecks????
as for what i have used.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181704058296?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Going to give the mush dog food ago and the cds its all worth a try, i have no intentions of killing the bird!! was thinking of getting 2 more hens that would be the max for us would this help ?? maybe bit of bullying back at the hen??
Just to add food wise my plot neighbours also have keys to the run so put food and treats in for them aswell.. i think they are a little over feed and spoit ..

Thanks all and keep the help coming..

[goodlife]

Ah...it does sound like it learned bad habit while in smaller space, once they learn something it will take some doing to change their learned habit.
I think the 'distraction' with new 'toys' and interests would be good starting point. If you can get hold of bale of straw (or even 2-3), they will keep interested of that for ages...first they will try to rip it apart to get any seed and just for fun...and usually the 'top dog' will take over the highest point..'to rule the roost'....that can help a lot to keep the bully apart, she will be very busy keeping the best place for herself. Once the strawbale(s) get really mucky and wet...just cut the strings and let them scratch the straw apart spreading it all over the place..and you can then repeat the process again, if it works Later when you come to empty the run...all old straw, now mixed with muck will be brilliant addition to your plot
What you provide to your girls sound really good...I bet their eggs taste brilliant! If you add to the flock, your new girls will need to be quite similar size or they will get 'hammered' with the bully, it might make the other girls bullies too and there is sure to be feathers flying.
Just to make sure I made myself clear....don't give them tin dogfood...just soaked up bickies, soak them with just enough water so that they swell up to soften them...if you add too much water and the bickies fall apart, just add some layers pellets to soak the excess liquid up...and you have some lovely mash for them.

[steve76]

 Thanks
I was thinking about the straw bales i will give it a go now... and cd's new toys it's all worth a try...
 we only feed our dog on the dry food so he's now sharing that with the hens 
I'm reluctant to add new hen's due to this problem unless some one knows it may help but if i do i will make sure they are of good size to look after themselves..

The eggs are lush, we have had many a compliment about how bright the yolk is and the taste, we get 3 eggs most days.

Thank you..   

[pumkinlover]

They sound lucky chucks.
Not sure if it is a nicotine based spray, my friend had chucks in a rather small hen house and one was really pecking the others so we sprayed them with it and it stopped it happening. It really is foul (no pun intended!) Nee to wear gloves and overalls. Also sometimes a hen will peck their own feathers out-seen that happen!

[Silverleaf]

I don't know much about chickens (him indoors says no, boo) but I think the straw bale idea is a great one, and I'd love to see them scratching about in it!

[steve76]

Thanks all, im going to look into that nicotine spray and im picking up more straw this weekend.
I gave them a big bowl of dog food yesterday they loved it..

Thank you
Steve.