Loyalsapphire
In the Brooder
- Feb 7, 2026
- 8
- 4
- 11
I have a 3-year-old Light Brahma hen who is getting her foot feathers eaten by our other 3 hens (a Dark Brahma (3 yoa), a Black Copper Maran (18 mth), and a Barred Rock (18 mth)). She used to be the alpha chicken of the pecking order, but I think that is no longer the case. It has been an issue off and on since late last summer. It took me a bit to figure out that was the issue, originally thinking folliculitis and later Scaly Leg Mites. They were all treated with Elector PSP, as was the coop. I believe it stemmed from the Light Brahma being broody; she was tough to break and was not friendly to the other hens coming to nest.
I was able to separate her for a couple weeks and her feathers were growing in nicely. I gradually blended her into the flock again, applying Rooster Booster Pick No More lotion with little change in the behavior of the other hens.
I then applied Pinless Peepers to the other hens (at varying times as it soon became clear that even the hen that I didn't think was picking her feet was!). One hen seemed to figure out that she could still peck the feet WITH the peepers on, so that one got separated from the flock for 10 days.
Everyone is back together, with one of the other hens peeper free this week (after having them on for 2 weeks) and injuries have started again.
The good (?) news is she doesn't seem scared of the other chickens and will stand there and let them peck (?!!?), picking up her feet occasionally. Though back in January there were clearly sore and she was spending a lot of time sitting on them in the nesting box. They also are not pecking feathers other than on the feet, and only on this one hen, despite 2 of the other hens also having foot feathers.
They are currently in an Omlet Eglu coop with a 9x12' closed run. I realize now the Omlet Eglu is not adequate coop space for our 4 hens, but it had worked well for the past 6 years until this crew!
We have added an additional nesting box, as well as secondary food and water stations and lots of coop 'clutter'. They get Nutrena Feather Fixer feed and are offered grit and calcium. They get a small amount of mealworms most days of the week as a treat (and a good time for foot inspections!). Now that it is warming up again, I plan to spray with Vetricyn to aid in healing, which helped last Fall.
At this point I am back to separating this hen from the flock until she heals again. Last time I paired her up with a friend (who will be wearing Pinless Peepers this time!) and am able to rotate them between the large run (9x12) and a small run attached directly to the coop (9x3), so they are adjacent without direct access. I can rotate the buddy hen, depending on Pinless Peeper schedule (2 weeks on, 1 week off), until she heals. Then I think I'll try to gradually expose her to each other hen (without the peepers) to get a clearer picture of the worse instigator(s). Also, the weather here in central Iowa is improving and I am planning to let them free range in the hopes that they find that more entertaining than eating their friend's feet.
Any other ideas? I feel badly that this went on for so long before I realized what was actually happening. These are our first feather footed friends.
I was able to separate her for a couple weeks and her feathers were growing in nicely. I gradually blended her into the flock again, applying Rooster Booster Pick No More lotion with little change in the behavior of the other hens.
I then applied Pinless Peepers to the other hens (at varying times as it soon became clear that even the hen that I didn't think was picking her feet was!). One hen seemed to figure out that she could still peck the feet WITH the peepers on, so that one got separated from the flock for 10 days.
Everyone is back together, with one of the other hens peeper free this week (after having them on for 2 weeks) and injuries have started again.
The good (?) news is she doesn't seem scared of the other chickens and will stand there and let them peck (?!!?), picking up her feet occasionally. Though back in January there were clearly sore and she was spending a lot of time sitting on them in the nesting box. They also are not pecking feathers other than on the feet, and only on this one hen, despite 2 of the other hens also having foot feathers.
They are currently in an Omlet Eglu coop with a 9x12' closed run. I realize now the Omlet Eglu is not adequate coop space for our 4 hens, but it had worked well for the past 6 years until this crew!
We have added an additional nesting box, as well as secondary food and water stations and lots of coop 'clutter'. They get Nutrena Feather Fixer feed and are offered grit and calcium. They get a small amount of mealworms most days of the week as a treat (and a good time for foot inspections!). Now that it is warming up again, I plan to spray with Vetricyn to aid in healing, which helped last Fall.
At this point I am back to separating this hen from the flock until she heals again. Last time I paired her up with a friend (who will be wearing Pinless Peepers this time!) and am able to rotate them between the large run (9x12) and a small run attached directly to the coop (9x3), so they are adjacent without direct access. I can rotate the buddy hen, depending on Pinless Peeper schedule (2 weeks on, 1 week off), until she heals. Then I think I'll try to gradually expose her to each other hen (without the peepers) to get a clearer picture of the worse instigator(s). Also, the weather here in central Iowa is improving and I am planning to let them free range in the hopes that they find that more entertaining than eating their friend's feet.
Any other ideas? I feel badly that this went on for so long before I realized what was actually happening. These are our first feather footed friends.
