We have six 14 month month old Isa Brown chickens here in Melbourne Australia.
About 6 weeks ago I noticed some looked like what I thought was moulting.
I thought this strange as it is summer here.
A friend who has had chickens in the past visited and pointed out to me that they were not moulting but in fact pecking each other AAAAAAAND eating the feathers.
What started off at the tail has progressed to the butt area, chest area, back area and even the thighs. The chickens look horrible. They are all doing it to each other.
There are two of the six that are in better condition than the other four. We have separated them and they don’t seem to be pecking each other.
However the other four “pecked to the bone” ones are pecking each other.
I would have thought that the feathered ones are the perpetrators which is why they look so good and the injured ones are the victims which is why I kept them all together.
I reintroduced the two feathered ones back to the coop and they started pecking again.
I’m at my wits end. How do I stop the pecking before they kill each other.
Some of the chickens have blood spots on them.
The weird thing is that throughout all this they continue to lay eggs just like before. Nothings changed in the egg production.
We haven’t changed their feed or feeding times.
Does anyone have any home remedies I could use to deter them from pecking each other?
Or even any advice or suggestions on what and where from I can purchase something to deter this behaviour.
I feel like a failure as a chicken mama.
About 6 weeks ago I noticed some looked like what I thought was moulting.
I thought this strange as it is summer here.
A friend who has had chickens in the past visited and pointed out to me that they were not moulting but in fact pecking each other AAAAAAAND eating the feathers.
What started off at the tail has progressed to the butt area, chest area, back area and even the thighs. The chickens look horrible. They are all doing it to each other.
There are two of the six that are in better condition than the other four. We have separated them and they don’t seem to be pecking each other.
However the other four “pecked to the bone” ones are pecking each other.
I would have thought that the feathered ones are the perpetrators which is why they look so good and the injured ones are the victims which is why I kept them all together.
I reintroduced the two feathered ones back to the coop and they started pecking again.
I’m at my wits end. How do I stop the pecking before they kill each other.
Some of the chickens have blood spots on them.
The weird thing is that throughout all this they continue to lay eggs just like before. Nothings changed in the egg production.
We haven’t changed their feed or feeding times.
Does anyone have any home remedies I could use to deter them from pecking each other?
Or even any advice or suggestions on what and where from I can purchase something to deter this behaviour.
I feel like a failure as a chicken mama.
