Pecking problem

[sweetfamily83]

So I picked up ten 8 month old hens from a lady who had not been taking care of them properly. These poor girls were in 8 inches of muck in a 3 ft by 6 foot total area with a hen house that was in ill repair and didn't keep the girls dry. There were many whole eggs in the mud. It was sad. I took the girls home and cleaned them up. I don't think she was feeding them properly either. I am working on integrating them into my flock. When examining them I noticed one has a patch of feathers missing from her chest and the area looks red. I have her quarantined in a separate area. I have notice that the black sex link is really aggressive. I know that it's normal for them to be bickering while establishing a pecking order but I think she is the reason that the quarantined chicken is missing the feathers. I think that maybe her previews environment caused this behavior but is there a way to break her of this? I bought some of this no peck lotion does that work?

 

[Pork Pie]

No harm in trying with the no-peck stuff. I would not necessarily think of feather pecking being the cause of feather loss from the breast (it usually begins at the rear end). Have you checked them for mites / lice?

Birds that have been kept in less than ideal conditions can show negative behaviours (e.g. feather pecking / aggression) and once this becomes a learned behaviour, correcting it is extremely difficult. Isolation is likely the only option (for a period of time, at least). Personally, I would cull those exhibiting such behaviours - if other flock members assume this behaviour, then one has opened a real can of worms.

I hope you don't mind me sharing my opinion, but adopting chickens that have been ill-treated (as you describe) and bringing them into your existing flock is a risky thing to do - in terms of possible disease transmission, and behaviours. It's something I would never do. And doing so without quarantine is possibly the greatest risk that one can take.

I wish you the best of luck

ETA: If you do notice feather pecking, then this link may be helpful to you -
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1148824/topic-of-the-week-feather-pecking-eating

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Many hens who lay a lot will wear Tue feathers off the chest area from sitting on the eggs daily, so just another possibly.

You do need to be careful bringing in adult birds as they can introduce things to your flock that will never go away.