Chicken pecking :(

[Chickenman MAN]

So! I have recently got 4 ex-battery hens. They are making ok progress with regrowing feathers, however, one poor chick is being pecked on the back, her tails and her wings. Many feathers and new growing feathers have been pecked off. When I see the other hens pecking her it doesn’t seem particularly malicious.... The run is large and spacious with a 30m perimeter. The coop isn’t massive but I never see the hens pecking each other in there. There is ample food and drink, I bring them treats and give them mixed grit with oyster shells for calcium ect. Can anyone suggest ways to stop or prevent pecking and help them regrow feathers?! Thanks so much


ALSO: Do you think I should separate the chook off from the others? Or is that a bit too much?

 

[CluckerFamily]

Welcome to BYC!!

Do you have things in the run that provide escapes and hiding? I have a roost, logs, lawn chairs, etc.
I don't use blukote a lot but this may be a point when I would.

 

[sourland]

Sometimes feather pecking/plucking is a bad habit that starts while battery birds are confined in too little space. Sometimes fitting them with Pin Less Peepers until feathers are regrown can serve to break the habit. Upon feather regrowth the devices can be removed. Good luck in finding a solution.

 

[Aapomp831]

Are they eating the feathers? Feathers are made of mostly protein so they may have gotten into the habit of eating feathers for extra protein, esp being ex battery hens that were probably not very well taken care of or had their nutritional needs met.

 

[aart]

30m perimeter

Meaning run is 30m on each of 4 sides....or?

There is ample food and drink, I bring them treats

WHat feed are they getting??
I'd be giving them a high protein(18-20%) all flock feed....and very few 'treats'.

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Welcome to BYC!!

Do you have things in the run that provide escapes and hiding? I have a roost, logs, lawn chairs, etc.
I don't use blukote a lot but this may be a point when I would.

We are working on a roost, maybe that will help...I made a temporary one with some logs and thick sticks but they don't seem interested (can't blame them it is a bit wobbly).

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Meaning run is 30m on each of 4 sides....or?

WHat feed are they getting??
I'd be giving them a high protein(18-20%) all flock feed....and very few 'treats'.

To be honest, it is a strange shape, I'd guess about 20m squared or so maybe more. I give them some cracked corn occasionally and also grapes and eggs as I have read it is helpful with growing feathers-plus they seem to like it. It is very high protein, can't remember the exact amount but it is layers pellets.

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Are they eating the feathers? Feathers are made of mostly protein so they may have gotten into the habit of eating feathers for extra protein, esp being ex battery hens that were probably not very well taken care of or had their nutritional needs met.

I'm not sure. Possibly, I have seen one of the hens eat one of the new growing feathers but that was the only time! Admittedly, I wasn't close enough the other few times to tell what they did other than peck the chook.

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Sometimes feather pecking/plucking is a bad habit that starts while battery birds are confined in too little space. Sometimes fitting them with Pin Less Peepers until feathers are regrown can serve to break the habit. Upon feather regrowth the devices can be removed. Good luck in finding a solution.

Thanks! I'm not sure about the peepers... they seem a bit extreme

 

[aart]

To be honest, it is a strange shape, I'd guess about 20m squared or so maybe more. I give them some cracked corn occasionally and also grapes and eggs as I have read it is helpful with growing feathers-plus they seem to like it. It is very high protein, can't remember the exact amount but it is layers pellets.

Pics of your coop and run would be helpful here.

Does feed have a tag listing the percentages of protein and calcium.
It's required in the USA.

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