Advice please! Boss chicken pecking other two featherless!

[tanjajk]

I'm quite new to keeping chickens. We got our three girls from the same brood as pullets around 7 months ago and until now they have been quite happy living together. We get a solid three eggs a a day even through the cold times. There has been a clear leader from the start but there has been no serious issues with pecking until literally now. Like I only noticed it few days ago. One of them gets pecked the most and has fast growing bold patches on both thighs. The middle one gets pecked too but not as badly. I don't know what triggered it now and I don't know what to do to stop it!
They don't have a massive run but I always thought it's big enough for three chickens, it has lots of different spaces and perching areas. They have a big mirror, more perches and a dust bath up on the coop roof which they also use. The food is hung up and is never empty, they have two areas for water. I give them a plate of fresh food (our scraps, salad, herbs, anything really) every day and they also get to have an hour or two free ranging in our garden foraging. I really thought I had this chicken keeping mastered but now I'm starting to get worried as the bold patch is starting to look sore!
I don't know how to isolate the bully without denying access to the coop and nest boxes for the other two. I don't want to cull it either.
The only thing that changed recently was their feed but I thought we changed to a better quality one. We bought a chicken starter pack with them that included a massive bag of feed but it was unbranded so we bought a new big bag from Pets at Home when it ran out, it's not the cheap stuff. Other hens are not pecking so could the feed be the problem? What can I do to stop it? Any help appreciated!

I've attached a picture of their run and coop area, is it getting too small for them now that they are fully laying and clucking adults?

Thank you so much!

Tanja

 

[pennyJo1960]

It may be a tad small treats like the leftovers can and should be about once a week
do you offer oyster shell non medicated is the best feed your doing fabulous with them but back off a bit on treats and get some shell better to buy a big bag of oyster the smaller bags are very high priced a big bag is cheap..
I am sorry forgot to even say Welcome

 

[MearBear]

Do you know which chicken is doing the pecking? If so keep the bully someplace else where it won't be able to see or touch the others, then after 3 or 4 days put it back in the coop. This method has helped many people but it doesn't work for all.

 

[Percheron chick]

Protein level of the new feed? Try tossing a few handfuls of cat kibble daily or some other high protein treat like mealworms.
You can make a timeout cage for her to give them a break. Just put her in a dog carrier in the run with food and water.

 

[tanjajk]

Thanks for all the answers!

Penny 1960 - They have tub of grit with oyster shell in their run and I also throw it in ground for them. So the fresh food plate could be the problem?

MearBear- Should I try and fit a dog crate in there and keep the bully chicken away during the day but let it go into the coop with others during the night? I didn't want to resort to isolation just yet as I'm not sure if I can pull it off in such an awkward space.

Percheron chick - We give them our left over meat if there is some and they also get meal worms. I also see them digging out some huge worms from the soil when they are out foraging!

 

[GC-Raptor]

If it started soon after changing feed. I would suspect the feed. Chickens don't like change. I switch feeds by mixing 50/50 for a couple of weeks and scattering it on the ground. Are they eating the new feed? If consumption is down. Smell the feed, it should have a fresh grains smell. A moldy damp or medicine smell, feed is bad.
If feed smells fresh, they may not like the taste. If feed is lower in Protein, that could be the problem. Try the previous feed or a higher Protein feed. Too many low Protein treats with a 16% Protein layers feed could be a problem.
A larger pen is good, for when they aren't free ranging. Once a bully finds a high Protein food like feathers, it can be difficult to stop. I had to use Pinless Peepers to stop hens from plucking Pin feathers from a molting hen for 3 weeks. . If all else fails you may want to try these. GC

 

[chickengeorgeto]

To much so called herbs can deplete the protein value of chickens' rations and when the protein level of their diet is no longer sufficient for a hens' needs she will turn to cannibalism to make up the shortfall in her protein intake.

 

[tanjajk]

GC-Raptor and chickengeorgeto, very helpful! I just had a smell of their feed and it smells like fresh grains and they do eat it, maybe not quite as fast as the old feed now that I think about it. The problem is, because the old feed was unlabelled in plain bag, I have no idea what it was. Will try and find out from the place we got the chickens from!

I will also stop feeding them the fresh food plates as much as its mostly chopped veg and leafy salad and herbs with an odd scrap piece of meat but not much. I thought its good for them but how wrong I was. So glad I asked!

 

[Percheron chick]

The fresh veggies are not bad for them. The problem is too much will significantly pull down the overall protein content of their diet to the point they resort to featherpicking to get more. You can try mixing the new feed with a game bird feed that is in the 26% range. That will average the feed to closer to 20%. Then limit the greens to 1/4 c each per day. Throw the extra in the freezer for hot summer days.

 

[tanjajk]

Pecheron chick I think my mistake was giving them too much of it for sure! Literally a plateful of fresh food for three chickens a day so I totally have been depleting out of protein. It just makes sense.
The protein content of their actual feed is 16%. I tried getting in touch with the company where I bought the chickens and the poultry started pack from to find out what feed they use but the place appears to have shut down.
As a precautionary measure I've also started locking the bully in their coop area after all three has laid their eggs for the day to see if it helps bringing it back down from its high horse! She still has a little run area and can see the other two. She appears to be sulking now!