bad bad chickie

[Mandymooligan]

I have a chick who ruthlessly picks feathers out of my others. She is 8 weeks old and no matter what she is hell-bent to do it. I have given them cat food, dirt clumps, and anything to keep their minds occupied. I really am getting to where I hate her guts. She is a very pretty d'Uccle but I am seriously thinking of culling her. Am I evil to do something that extreme?

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Bad little chickie! Do they need more space?

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
No they are in a big coop and get to run around outside for an hour or two everyday. They started out as babies in a kids pool brooder, then moved into my 16 foot stock trailer as a halfway house, and are now in a large big chicken coop. She started it in the trailer and has never quit. I think she picks even while outside.

 

[Spoiled1_629]

Can you separate her from the rest for a couple of days? Maybe in a dog crate in the run with the rest. Maybe she just needs to be put in time out and let the pecking order be re-established. Knock her down a few notches.

 

[Mandymooligan]

It makes me sick the way she disturbs the peace as she constantly sneaks up vultur-like on the others and snatches out their pin- feathers. I even clipped her beak.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

I would agree with the time-out for a couple of days! And a smack on the bum for bad behavior!

 

[boogiedog]

Put some pinless peepers on her. It may break the behavior; you can take them off in a month or two and see if the behavior abated. If not, put back on. They do not harm the chickens and definitely stop the feather picking. My flock sports them - in bright green. Very fashionable. (they are cheap through National Band Co.)

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Its also possible that your chicks are just at the age where its time for them to establish their pecking order. There's a good chance that if you remove her to discourage pecking, someone else will simply take her place. Give them some time to.sort things out, the pecking order is ever changing. As long as she's not drawing blood or picking holes in here flock mates, leave them to it. Good luck!

 

[larsonll]

Just looked up pinless peepers online. Never knew such a thing existed.

 

[azygous]

I'm convinced that there are occasional chickens whose brains are wired differently, and no matter what you try, they will be driven to pick feathers out of anyone in their path. I have such a hen.

I recognized that Flo had this problem very early on, around four or five months. I thought since she was very near the bottom of the pecking order, and small in size, she might have a nutritional deficiency, so I gave her special feedings of canned tuna. That didn't work. I tried separating her from the flock. That didn't work. When she returned, she was still a terror.

So, as a last resort, I tried the pinless peepers. That worked, but she still picked feathers if the victim stuck herself under Flo's beak. So I put saddle/aprons on all of her victims. That worked.

So after three months, feathers having grown back, I removed the saddles and took the peepers off of Flo. In less than two days, Flo was back to her frenzied feather-picking. So I re-installed the peepers, and the problem ceased.

Flo is a very sweet little hen, and I love her very much, but she's going to have to wear the peepers for the rest of her life, I'm afraid. I may try taking them off her again in a few months, but I doubt very much she will outgrow this problem. It's just how her brain is wired.

By the way, the peepers come in all colors. Just choose anything but red!