Chickens going crazy!?

[Joecool1994]

Hello BYC! I currently have 6 chickens, all a little over a year old. 3 BOs and 3 BRs. This is the first time we have raised chickens and everything has been going smooth over the past year and some months that we've had them. Well here recently we noticed a Buff started missing her feathers around her chest area. We had no idea if she was going into a molt or not until the other day when we saw one of our other Buffs pecking at her chest while the one missing feathers just stood there and watched her.

Things have been normal up until today/now. The one Buff missing her feathers on her chest has a bloody head and was stuck under a fence bar. We then noticed that the "Queen B" Buff was getting into it with one of the Barred Rocks, she just kept butting heads with her and we figured it was her dominance being tested? I don't know what to do with the situation, we have the injured Buff in one of our dogs kennels with her own food and water. I'm just not sure if we were to let her out tomorrow if they'd start beating on her again. We thought that maybe she was being beaten on because she was stuck under the fence but we honestly don't know what happened to her, we have been outside for a lot of the day and just happen to notice it when the Buff and Barred were clunking heads.

I have no idea what to do or test out with them. They have been happy for a long time now and we always spoil them with snacks but apparently it's not good enough for them.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated, I hope we're not the only ones that have experienced this! Thanks a lot for your time on reading this.

 

[Judy]

The causes of feather picking are usually given as too little space, boredom and too little protein. Sometimes giving snacks actually results in unintentionally diluting the amount of protein in their diet. It can be a very difficult habit to break, once established.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/back-to-basic-living-feather-picking-plucking-and-cannibalism

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking/0_20

 

[Joecool1994]

Thank you very much Judy! I have read both of the stories you've posted and with what you posted, I have a feeling that it's because of boredom, we don't have a lot of things for them to do and before they would eat the grass but there is none left for them to peck out. We'll definitely buy some cabbages or something to left hang so they can peck at that instead of at each other.

It was just so odd to see all this happening. We pretty much figured the buff got stuck under the pole (Which we have no idea how) and that one of the BRs were pecking at her head because she might have gotten in her way which caused the "Queen B" to start picking a fight with the BR... and it was a good thing we were out there at the time because "Queen B" was really starting to get aggressive against the BR.

They have been going up to the dog crate all night and morning just looking at her, I feel bad to have put her in there but I think it was the safe way to go... I hope.

Thanks again Judy for the suggestions and story links!!!