Chicken plucking other chicken’s feathers out, causing them to bleed! Help!

[jschmi]

I have 6 chickens, 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Golden Lace Wyandottes,
I raised them from chicks together and they are now about 6 months old and one of the Rhode Island Reds’ is starting to pluck the feathers off of all three of the Golden Laced’s backs near their tails.

I just started noticing the bare spots on them like maybe 3 days ago and today I noticed it was getting worse and one had a very bloody spot where the chicken has been pecking at her.

The chicken who is doing the pecking is the one who I believe it at the top of the pecking order. She is generally not nice to people much either, she bites pretty hard. I am wondering if she just had a mean personality.
I did notice of the other Rhode Island Reds’ was also pecking at the Golden Laced once but it wasn’t near as often. I only saw her do it once.

I do not free range them because I am worried my neighbor’s farm dog will attack them as it sometimes wanders over to our yard. They do have a run that is big enough for all of them.

One thing that I have changed over the past few weeks was I switched their waterer to one of the nipple waters.
I was reading online that chickens will start to peck each other if they feel they don’t have proper access to food and water, so I moved their feeder outside so they have more room to move around it.
I left their waterer inside because it has a heater on it because of the cold weather and it says to keep it protected, but today when I noticed that there were so many more feathers missing and one was bleeding, I added their older waterer back and placed it outside. I am hoping that helps.

I am worried that it’s too late because the one drew blood and she will continue to be aggressive and the other will follow.

Not sure what to do. I have read to separate the one that is pecking the others, but that would mean I would have to get an additional coop and run.

Anyone have any experience with this type of situation? If so what did you do?

Thanks you

 

[Tonyroo]

This is a bad behavior that needs to be stopped immediately, otherwise your other chickens will learn that habit.

I hope your applying first aid to your injured chickens. Then you will need to remove the destructive hen away from the coop and run. Leave her in a dog crate with food and water in the garage. Anywhere out of sight of the coop.

 

[Mrs. K]

You could try ^^^ or try pin less peepers. They can really help in small flocks.
https://www.amazon.com/DSSPORT-Pheasant-Blinders-Spectacles-Anti-Pecking/dp/B08DTZBVDX

I have never had this problem, but this would be something I would try. Or I would remove the aggressor from the flock. Laying hens are easy to sell.

Being raised together really has no effect of chickens. What does have an effect is size of the set up. Often times what was more than enough space when they were little is not enough space as they become full size and the days get short.

Post pictures of your set up.

Mrs K

 

[jschmi]

This is a bad behavior that needs to be stopped immediately, otherwise your other chickens will learn that habit.

I hope you’re applying first aid to your injured chickens. Then you will need to remove the destructive hen away from the coop and run. Leave her in a dog crate with food and water in the garage. Anywhere out of sight of the coop.

This is a bad behavior that needs to be stopped immediately, otherwise your other chickens will learn that habit.

I hope your applying first aid to your injured chickens. Then you will need to remove the destructive hen away from the coop and run. Leave her in a dog crate with food and water in the garage. Anywhere out of sight of the coop.

Thanks for the advice. Should I keep her separate indefinitely? Or can I eventually reintroduce her again after awhile?

 

[jschmi]

You could try ^^^ or try pin less peepers. They can really help in small flocks.
https://www.amazon.com/DSSPORT-Pheasant-Blinders-Spectacles-Anti-Pecking/dp/B08DTZBVDX

I have never had this problem, but this would be something I would try. Or I would remove the aggressor from the flock. Laying hens are easy to sell.

Being raised together really has no effect of chickens. What does have an effect is size of the set up. Often times what was more than enough space when they were little is not enough space as they become full size and the days get short.

Post pictures of your set up.

Mrs K

Thank you. I might have to try to get those.
I don’t have photos of the set up at the moment. But the run is 12ft long and 7ft wide, which according to what I have read is more than enough for 6 chickens.
I will try to get some photos later today.

I appreciate your advice. Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don’t have photos of the set up at the moment. But the run is 12ft long and 7ft wide, which according to what I have read is more than enough for 6 chickens.

What's in the space? Is it a big empty rectangle, or is there clutter in it? Are there multiple food (and possibly water) sources placed far apart and out of line of sight of one another?

 

[jschmi]

What's in the space? Is it a big empty rectangle, or is there clutter in it? Are there multiple food (and possibly water) sources placed far apart and out of line of sight of one another?

It’s an empty rectangle for the most part, with space under the coop for shelter.
I have a chicken swing hanging as well as a block for them to play/jump on.
I just started putting their food and water outside, it used to be kept only in the coop. I have them under the coop for protection from rain/snow. I also left a second waterer inside the coop (the nipple waterer). I have a second feeder available now, but I do not have it in the coop at the moment. I will try to put that back inside the coop as well.

As a note, yesterday I decided to let them out to free range while I dug out the older muddy straw and placed new straw in the run. Of course, they loved that, there was no issues with pecking each other while they were out. I may try to let them out more and see if that stops the bad behavior.

My husband bought some stuff at the store to try one that helps heal chicken wounds that I guess also turns the wound blue to the other chickens don't mess with it, and another to put on all the chickens being pecked at to try to deter the behavior. I don't have the names of the products off hand, but has anyone had luck with these types of products?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

As others have said, it's critical to get the bully away from the flock because picking can become a learned behavior that spreads through the flock.

Here is some help to improve the open rectangle problem, which is a problem because dominant birds expect subordinates to show proper submission by moving away to an appropriate distance and by breaking line of sight -- indicating that they respect the dominant bird's authority: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Another cause for picking can be a diet too low in protein. What feed are you using and what supplements/treats do they also get?

 

[jschmi]

Welcome to BYC.

As others have said, it's critical to get the bully away from the flock because picking can become a learned behavior that spreads through the flock.

Here is some help to improve the open rectangle problem, which is a problem because dominant birds expect subordinates to show proper submission by moving away to an appropriate distance and by breaking line of sight -- indicating that they respect the dominant bird's authority: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Another cause for picking can be a diet too low in protein. What feed are you using and what supplements/treats do they also get?

Thank you. I don't really have the means to provide an entire additional coop for the bully chicken at the moment, so I am trying everything else I can.

Can this behavior be corrected? If the only real option is to get rid of her, do you know of any good websites to place an ad on? Who would want to take a bully chicken?

I will try to add more obstacles to the run and blocking food to see if that helps.

I am using Purina Layena Layer feed which is 16% Protein. Is that a good amount of protein?

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you. I don't really have the means to provide an entire additional coop for the bully chicken at the moment, so I am trying everything else I can.

Can this behavior be corrected? If the only real option is to get rid of her, do you know of any good websites to place an ad on? Who would want to take a bully chicken?

I will try to add more obstacles to the run and blocking food to see if that helps.

I am using Purina Layena Layer feed which is 16% Protein. Is that a good amount of protein?

I don't have any direct experience with bullying, so I'm repeating what I have read.

Many people have found it helpful to switch to an all-flock feed of at least 18% protein, preferably 20% -- offering oystershell on the side.

Do you have a dog crate you could put her into? I use one as a broody breaker: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/outdoor-broody-breaker.76592/