Chicken pecking out of control - running out of ideas

[emmyk23]

Unfortunately, this sounds like a space problem. I would suggest re-homing and maybe getting two bantams. City farming is glamorized, but actually extremely difficult to pull off. It does sound like you've tried some great options - and that's great!

Exactly! Everyone I know who has chickens made it sound like a cake walk. Not so. Live and learn I guess!

 

[Eggcessive]

Some breeds are more aggressive than others. Also pecking is normal, but bullying can become a bad habit that spreads. If you use a game camera or spend time watching them including at roost time, you may find the one that is doing it the most. Then separate or rehome. Unfortunately, most people start out with not enough room or large enough coop and run. The more room they have the better. Are you feeding a balanced layer or all flock feed?

 

[emmyk23]

Some breeds are more aggressive than others. Also pecking is normal, but bullying can become a bad habit that spreads. If you use a game camera or spend time watching them including at roost time, you may find the one that is doing it the most. Then separate or rehome. Unfortunately, most people start out with not enough room or large enough coop and run. The more room they have the better. Are you feeding a balanced layer or all flock feed?

Yup, we separated the bully right away and then a month later, the shyest one that was being bullied became the new bully! Now we have multiple bullies They were fine all summer but definitely not enough room come winter. They get a balanced layer feed from Purina I believe and daily scratch and random treats.

 

[Eggcessive]

When you give scratch or other treats, it can dilute the balanced feed which has all they need. Scratch has too little protein (7% compared to 16 or 20%) and none of the right vitamin/mineral balance. It may not cure your peckers now, since it has gone on awhile, but having their balanced layer or all flock feed as 90% of their intake it is best.

 

[PenelopeJane]

Are they getting outside to free range in the yard? What breeds are they? Do you have a rooster?

I posted a few weeks ago about some pecking behaviors and things have gotten worse. I am a new chicken owner, have 4 chickens in the city in an enclosed run. We have had some pecking injuries and bare spots from pulled feathers starting in early Feb. We tried many things over the last couple of months including saddles and nose clips and cabbage and suet block and separating them for weeks and nothing helps for very long. We even built a tiny timeout coop to keep the problem chicken separated in but now they're ALL problem chicken! We went on vacation last week for a week and came home to all four chickens now having issues. The shy one is now the bully and has pecked bare spots on 2 other chickens, bare legs/thighs. We have now separated all four chickens and have run out of ideas as to how to keep any of them in the same run anymore without them killing each other. We just got another snow storm and I believe the combination of not enough space and a long, nasty winter in Michigan led them to these issues. I just don't know if there's any fixing it at this point? I've read all the articles and tried just about everything I can in a suburban backyard in winter.

Emmy23, We put chicken saddles on 4 of our 5 chickens. Of course they just protect the covered areas. We put a purple lotion (Pick-No-More) on the worst spots - not Blu-Kote, because we couldn't get it quickly. We had to put it on 2 or 3 times a day at first and I think it initially stung, but now the skin is no longer raw and that area is no longer picked. Two days the weather cooperated and we stood guard over them about an hour so they could "free range". In the afternoon we have been feeding them a can of tuna. Yesterday my husband hung 2 mirrors inside the run. I don't know if any one thing helped more than others, but things definitely seem much better today.

 

[PenelopeJane]

Emmy23, We put chicken saddles on 4 of our 5 chickens. Of course they just protect the covered areas. We put a purple lotion (Pick-No-More) on the worst spots - not Blu-Kote, because we couldn't get it quickly. We had to put it on 2 or 3 times a day at first and I think it initially stung, but now the skin is no longer raw and that area is no longer picked. Two days the weather cooperated and we stood guard over them about an hour so they could "free range". In the afternoon we have been feeding them a can of tuna. Yesterday my husband hung 2 mirrors inside the run. I don't know if any one thing helped more than others, but things definitely seem much better today.

EmmyK23

 

[diegodog1]

I posted a few weeks ago about some pecking behaviors and things have gotten worse. I am a new chicken owner, have 4 chickens in the city in an enclosed run. We have had some pecking injuries and bare spots from pulled feathers starting in early Feb. We tried many things over the last couple of months including saddles and nose clips and cabbage and suet block and separating them for weeks and nothing helps for very long. We even built a tiny timeout coop to keep the problem chicken separated in but now they're ALL problem chicken! We went on vacation last week for a week and came home to all four chickens now having issues. The shy one is now the bully and has pecked bare spots on 2 other chickens, bare legs/thighs. We have now separated all four chickens and have run out of ideas as to how to keep any of them in the same run anymore without them killing each other. We just got another snow storm and I believe the combination of not enough space and a long, nasty winter in Michigan led them to these issues. I just don't know if there's any fixing it at this point? I've read all the articles and tried just about everything I can in a suburban backyard in winter.

Read my post on Vicks. It will help you. Cheers