Chicken getting Pecked Raw! Help!!

[Chlo's chickens!!]

I just went outside tonight to see that 3 others have it now. I do not know how I can icolate all of them. We are in the process of building something bigger/new. Anyone have any ideas, or ways I can build something that can help? I do not want it to get too bad! Thank you all!!

 

[bobbi-j]

You'll find lots of great ideas here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

 

[Kellow1]

I have a Rode Island Red hen that is one of 6 in a coop and run. They have plenty of room. I have started to notice that this chicken was loosing feathers on its back end. I was looking at it a few minutes ago and saw that it was raw and starting to bleed. It still seems to be acting fine, but I am very worried that they could end up getting injured very bad. Does anyone have any ideas I can use that will help/heal. It is winter and get to 10 degrees at night , so I do not know how I could seperate it when they keep eachother warm at night. If you have any advice it would be greatly appricated. Thank you so much!!View attachment 1211018

Do you have a Roo?

 

[getaclue]

Have you checked them over good for mites? Some types of mites come out at night. Put a bale of hay, or two in your run(s). This gives the ones being picked on, an out-of-sight area, to get away. IF you can determine the head bully, isolate the bully inside the pen, where it can see everyone else, but not get to them for a few days, then re-introduce the bully. I actually had a pair of them once, that I had to isolate, re-introduce, then isolate again. It took about 10 days, but they figured it out.

 

[thytay&chickenmomma]

Thank you so much for the information! Souds just like my situation!! (but with much less birds)!! Can you give me a little more information about the chicken peepers? If that will help, I might want to try it!

You are welcome, I just hope my dealing with this issue maybe helps someone else. I am still learning, I am no chicken expert by any means, but this was one of the most stressful things I have dealt with thus far since having chickens! Chicken mites would be #2, that is another story.

I got these, pinless chicken peepers,mine are just orange, they come in various colors but I was afraid colored ones would cause more pecking issue or draw more attention. For me, that never happened and I could have ordered any color in my opinion.

I found them on eBay for very cheap, it included the tool needed too.I will send you the link in a PM where I bought mine, I don't know if I am allowed to post the link here?? You can get them without the tool too. I was so skeptical about them, after all, I had tried everything and nothing worked so I did not think they would either. I thought they would be hard to put on them, or the chickens would be unable to breathe with them because the tiny plastic piece slides into each nostril and that is what holds them on, but I had no option but to try them. They are plastic, I put them on myself, only took me a few minutes per hen, was actually very very easy, and they breathe just fine and it does not hurt them at all. You use a plier tool to sort of spread the peeper open over the beak and slide the tiny plastic piece into each nostril in each side, that keeps them on. They act like blinders for chickens where they can't see straight in front of them but to the sides. It took only a few minutes of the hens adjusting/trying to get it off and back to normal chicken business afterwards. I was VERY shocked at how easy they were to put on and how the chickens had no issues with them after a few minutes. The 1st day, I watched them closely, and the ones pecking would follow a chicken and try to "look" where to peck but couldn't see and would walk off not pecking at all. After 3 days I noticed none of the chickens even trying to peck feathers or following any of the chickens around at all. They can't see straight in front of them to peck out specific feathers, it has totally stopped the pecking/picking for me. For the 1st time, I have all my 10 hens together and no one is separated or has any wounds from picking, all the picked feathers or bare spots are filled out now too. I was worried too the chickens would peck the peepers on each other, but I put it on 8 of the 10 I have and that never even was a problem and the other 2 that did not have them on, very sweet girls who did not need them on, they just looked at them on the other chickens for the 1st day but none of the chickens never tried pecking at them at all. For me, they have been the solution, only wish I would had known about them when it all 1st started, I could had tried them before I got rid of over my chickens. And, they have been the cheapest solution of everything I tried too.

 

[Chlo's chickens!!]

I will make sure to look at that website!! I do not have a roo, it is 6 hens. I will check for mites, but I am positive it is pecking becuase I cought them doing a few times tonight. Any coop ideas/healing ideas would help!! I have one that is very raw and looks painfull. Thank you all for you ideas, I am just hoping I can find a way for them to stop pecking, and find a way to heal all 4 of them!! Every bit of info will be greatly appriciated!!

 

[Chlo's chickens!!]

X2

Blu Kote should help to hide the redness and "hopefully" discourage picking a little. But space, imho, is your biggest problem.

These sweet girls can become nasty/cranky quickly when cooped up too tightly.


@Chlo's chickens!! giving your general location helps with this question. If you are in the US, then most likely you have cold weather right now - you would want to definitely place her out of the wind and elements. Separating her out completely would not be a good idea (to me) since integration can be difficult even when weather is favorable and there is plenty of space. Ideally she should be caged/kenneled inside the coop and/or run to heal, unless you have one specific hen that is doing all the picking - then she would go to jail.

I am in Indiana!! There is now for like it, so I need ideas on how to seperate/heal. Thanks!!

 

[BYC910]

You are welcome, I just hope my dealing with this issue maybe helps someone else. I am still learning, I am no chicken expert by any means, but this was one of the most stressful things I have dealt with thus far since having chickens! Chicken mites would be #2, that is another story.

I got these, pinless chicken peepers,mine are just orange, they come in various colors but I was afraid colored ones would cause more pecking issue or draw more attention. For me, that never happened and I could have ordered any color in my opinion.
View attachment 1211775
I found them on eBay for very cheap, it included the tool needed too.I will send you the link in a PM where I bought mine, I don't know if I am allowed to post the link here?? You can get them without the tool too. I was so skeptical about them, after all, I had tried everything and nothing worked so I did not think they would either. I thought they would be hard to put on them, or the chickens would be unable to breathe with them because the tiny plastic piece slides into each nostril and that is what holds them on, but I had no option but to try them. They are plastic, I put them on myself, only took me a few minutes per hen, was actually very very easy, and they breathe just fine and it does not hurt them at all. You use a plier tool to sort of spread the peeper open over the beak and slide the tiny plastic piece into each nostril in each side, that keeps them on. They act like blinders for chickens where they can't see straight in front of them but to the sides. It took only a few minutes of the hens adjusting/trying to get it off and back to normal chicken business afterwards. I was VERY shocked at how easy they were to put on and how the chickens had no issues with them after a few minutes. The 1st day, I watched them closely, and the ones pecking would follow a chicken and try to "look" where to peck but couldn't see and would walk off not pecking at all. After 3 days I noticed none of the chickens even trying to peck feathers or following any of the chickens around at all. They can't see straight in front of them to peck out specific feathers, it has totally stopped the pecking/picking for me. For the 1st time, I have all my 10 hens together and no one is separated or has any wounds from picking, all the picked feathers or bare spots are filled out now too. I was worried too the chickens would peck the peepers on each other, but I put it on 8 of the 10 I have and that never even was a problem and the other 2 that did not have them on, very sweet girls who did not need them on, they just looked at them on the other chickens for the 1st day but none of the chickens never tried pecking at them at all. For me, they have been the solution, only wish I would had known about them when it all 1st started, I could had tried them before I got rid of over my chickens. And, they have been the cheapest solution of everything I tried too.

This is very good information . I would think it might help with egg eaters too . You may have helped more people than you know several have this problem . feather pickers and egg eaters . BTW this is not ebay you can post any link to almost any website here. Ebay doesn't allow that cuts them out of the picture .

I am in Indiana!! There is now for like it, so I need ideas on how to seperate/heal. Thanks!!

You can use a small dog crate fro separation . Something two feet by three feet . If you don't have enough room for it in the coop put it in the run and cover it . Chickens are tougher than you think . You can block the wind bed them down with straw . and they will be fine . Blocking the rain and wind is the main thing .While their down is not as fluffy as geese and ducks it is quite warm and one of the best natural insulators there is .

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just went outside tonight to see that 3 others have it now.

Hopefully @aart will chime in with some ideas.

O.K. The run space you have - is this it or does the back side open to the white fence behind it? It's hard to tell for me.

I worry about predator security so this idea may not be a good one - the space underneath the coop - can that be closed off and made secure somehow? That might work in separating them at night/roosting time, if this is when the picking is happening, but you mention that you have 3more that have loss as well. (happened today?)

If the picking is during the day - space, boredom, protein and/or parasites can all play a part. Adding more run space would be a good step forward - coop space is tight too, but daytime picking is not good. Hang some apple slices, cabbage or kale in several locations along the run - I usually have at least 2 places I hang veggies/fruit. Extra protein like some hard boiled egg are always a favorite too - spread it out in several little bowls - I use at least 4 bowls for treats like that.

I'm very sorry you're having troubles - I think with trying to get them more room you will see improvement - I understand it's frustrating - use Blu Kote on the bare bums.

 

[aart]

Hopefully @aart will chime in with some ideas.

I did earlier....more space and more protein.
Former is difficult but probably more important, latter is easy and should be asap.
Pinless peepers might be the only bandaid for right now with 3 victims.

More coop needed...maybe enclose the tall part of coop/run, remove adjoining wall and add a roost there.
Or grab a shed and use that for coop.