Feather Pecking & Bullying. Help!

[chirpingstad]

So for a while now I have had 4 hens with feather loss in some way. 3 with feathers missing close to their bodies by their legs, 3 with feathers missing by their necks, and 1 with feather loss along her back & I am getting really concerned. I asked a friend who also has a flock & he said that bullying gets the worst in the spring & winter so I thought maybe the problem would solve itself but I see now that that is not the case. I’m looking into getting blue kote spray to deter further pecking & maybe pinless peepers but I don’t know which hen/hens are bullying. I am also looking into maybe a saddle for the one with loss on her back but I know those are mainly for breeding so i don’t know. I also think overcrowding is a possibility but if that is the case should I look for chicken sanctuaries & give them away? Any advice would be helpful.

 

[sourland]

Generally the hen/hens in best feather condition are the birds doing the feather plucking.

 

[aart]

I’m looking into getting blue kote spray to deter further pecking

Bluekote will not deter pecking, it can actually encourage it, IMO.

I also think overcrowding is a possibility

How long have you had these birds?
How old are they, in weeks or months?

How big is the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

What all and how exactly are you feeding them?

 

[chirpingstad]

Bluekote will not deter pecking, it can actually encourage it, IMO.


How long have you had these birds?
How old are they, in weeks or months?

How big is the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

What all and how exactly are you feeding them?

I have 2 2 year old hens and 6 1 year old hens in a 6x14 run and a 6x4 coop. 1 hen is currently separated though because she's recovering from a yeast infection. I let them graze in the yard often and we're using a 17% layer feed. I have 2 feeders and 2 waterers, 1 of each below and another 1 of each in the coop.

I put pinless peepers on 2 of the perpetrators, The bullied girls are starting to get red spots from the pecking, but no open wounds thankfully. Should I get a colorless spray to help them heal? I thought the Bluekote would help because I read that it has a nasty taste to help deter pecking.

 

[aart]

Space might be a bit tight.
When did the bullying start?

 

[chirpingstad]

Space might be a bit tight.
When did the bullying start?

Near the end of winter and beginning of spring so a couple of months. Was told by a friend who also has a flock that it's normal but would straighten out by summer so I didn't think much of it at first but it's only gotten worse since then. None of the pecking is very aggressive, it's more just passive pecking and I'm afraid now that it's become a bad habit.

 

[ChickenMamaLissa]

I found that the Bluekote was good for allowing the feathers to grow back in the worst red spots. My chicken, who is now recovering thanks to pinless peepers was bright red, not the usual soft pink, where her feathers were constantly being plucked. When the Bluekote was fresh and dark on those raw areas, I'd see feathers starting to grow back after a few days, but it became impossible to keep up with the rate at which it wore off, and the other birds finding new spots to pick. I also couldn't figure out who the culprit was, so I put the peepers on everyone except the obvious victim. You might just put the pinless peepers on everyone for a while until they get back to full feathers.
Good Luck