- Apr 15, 2009
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I would remove the instigator for a few days/weeks to see if you see an improvement in flock health. It's pretty easy to see if there is an improvement or not- do you see new quills coming in on the bare patches on your picked birds? Once I figured out the problem bird/s in my flock I addressed the problem, and within a week saw new feather growth on the picked birds. Separating the culprit will do 2 things-
Give the victims a chance to recover from the assaults.
Knock the aggressor down on the pecking order. When you remove a bird for a week or two that bird becomes the new low man on the pecking order. Any bird that becomes the low man on the pecking order is too busy keeping themselves from getting beaten up to be picking at his/her coop mates.
Another little key to identifying the picker is to look at roosting order. I figured out my picker by noting which birds were picked on and who they slept next to on the roosts. I didn't see any picking until I sat in the coop for several hours one day, but I already had my eye on one bird in particular because the birds who roosted on either side of her at night were the most afflicted.
I hope you figure out what's going on soon.
Give the victims a chance to recover from the assaults.
Knock the aggressor down on the pecking order. When you remove a bird for a week or two that bird becomes the new low man on the pecking order. Any bird that becomes the low man on the pecking order is too busy keeping themselves from getting beaten up to be picking at his/her coop mates.
Another little key to identifying the picker is to look at roosting order. I figured out my picker by noting which birds were picked on and who they slept next to on the roosts. I didn't see any picking until I sat in the coop for several hours one day, but I already had my eye on one bird in particular because the birds who roosted on either side of her at night were the most afflicted.
I hope you figure out what's going on soon.
