How To Get Chickens To Stop Pecking Another Chicken?

[DanielB20]

My 8 week old chicken died from her older sibling while I was at Tahoe.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

I had 20 hens and they started picking on "Henrietta" one night.She was mistreated by her previous owner and very sickly when we got her. We had recuperated her and she was finally acting normal, then one morning we went out and found her dead and eaten through. I had to clip their beaks because they were starting to do the same with "Jessie"(she literally had a  hole in her side, and they ate through her skin and some of the meat. I was not sure if she would make it, but she did.). I did not have to clip their beaks again until we got our ducks, then we had to in order to protect the ducks.  after their beaks were clipped they stopped picking on each other. 

Reading through this thread to help figure out how to deal with my own hen pecking situation... so sorry you had to deal with that PetLover. So awful.

I was wondering why nobody responded to you as a dead chicken story usually elicits a flurry of sympathy and virtual hugs. Is it because you trimmed their beaks and people don't approve? I do not fault you one bit. After four years of raising chickens my thoughts on humane treatment have changed dramatically... the truth is, they can be awful creatures who would kill each other if left to their own devices. Your story is proof of that. My favorite hen was bullied and killed by the dominant hen in her flock and a beak-trimming would have been well deserved... a snapped neck would have been better. She continued bullying until she died from an impacted crop and to be totally honest I was happy when she finally shuffled off. I should have done it myself and saved the other hens the misery.

I have four hens in a huge coop and they are still pecking at each other... two have bare bloody backs now and have been isolated. I think one of them just likes eating feathers and I may need to get rid of her. I increased the protein in their diet and no change. Will try the Vicks and anti-pick spray to see if that helps.

If anyone has any advice on breaking a feather-eating habit I'd be grateful if you could post...

 

[monkeybobcat]

Thank-you all. I will try the vicks vapor rub. My chicken CB was found today with a wound on her side, missing feathers and the others pecking at her. Ruth and Esther both had blood on their beaks from pecking CB. I took CB (Crooked Bill) out of the pen and put her in my mobile chicken pen my husband made for them. She is doing well right now. I put a small roosting pole and a box in the pen. She chose the box tonight. I put some Neosporin on the wound earlier and put her back in pen. Everyone loved the Neosporin. I tried putting gauze and an Ace bandage on her. She was not able to walk very well so I took that off. That was when I took her out and separated her.

I will let you all know how she does.

 

[cluckers16]

Hi what would you recommend to clean and dress a wound with as my chicken has been pecked and now has an open bloody wound x

 

[annie511]

I'm definitely going to try the Vicks . One of my Polish hens is getting the back of her head pecked at. I've seen the other chickens doing it but they don't seem to be vicious about it and pearl is so docile she doesn't seem to mind it. I've been putting blue kote on it but they aren't stopping.

 

[Karessa]

How often do you reapply the Vicks? One of my girls is being pecked on now (for the second time.

 

[maryann momhen]

I tried the Vicks earlier today and she just came out in the afternoon with more feathers missing, I feel horrible. **** demon Crowley b.r. keeps pecking my Australorp on the back of the head leaving a bald spot,, doesn't seem to be breaking the skin thank goodness.but when they're free ranging Australorp doesn't seem to avoid her, they scratch right next to each other. And the coop is pretty big for 6 chickens. She's also bothering the buff too saw her with a yellow feather in her beak. Now buff keeps ruffling her feathers all the time. Like she's saying stay the f away from me.

 

[Janice123456]

Get peepers for the agressive ones. It stopped my hen from picking on one of my small ones. Instantly worked. My hen was jumping on a small sweet girl and grabbing her neck feathers and treadling her like she was a rooster. This activity was spreading to the others. One set of peepers on the agressive one stopped it all. Instantly. No more picking or jumping on one another.
I tried vicks and it didn't work. Messy and the poor girl did not like it. Peepers worked .

 

[Addisen]

i honestly think that would be a pretty good thin to do sense she is starting to bleed.

 

[chickities]

Hi, my polish is just having her feathers plucked out from on top of her head.. can I put Vicks on the feathers on her head to get them to stop pecking at her? The chickens are making me mad picking on her!! Helpppp