Feather-Picking! 3-Month Epidemic.

[Debutante]

You are welcome. I think your plans of a bigger coop is the answer. Hopefully with free ranging they settle down a bit until you can get that done. Bluekote does help to hide any skin which will attract more pecking. I put them down while it's still wet so any curious pecking give birds a bad taste.
@sourland suggestion of peepers can also buy you time and you don't need to separate them out.
The 4 square feet minimum should actually be doubled or tripled to avoid troubles. Those measurements are often for production birds that have been debeaked. Chickens are flock animals, but that doesn't mean that they necessarily like being close to one another. They also have the pecking order, which keeps birds pecking at each other if one gets too close that shouldn't.
My chicken shed is 40x40 and it is full at about 75 birds. By the recommendations I could fit 400 chickens in it, but that would be a crazy number, and I will see problems if I go much over the 75 chickens. Mine are completely free range as well, so you can never give them too much room.
Hopefully you are able to get it worked out. Good luck.

Hi OldHenLikesDogs. Thanks again for all your help. Really appreciate it!
Interesting points about the space requirements and that chickens don't necessarily *like* being close to one another. So true. Part of our 'theory' of pushing the limits on space was that they'd benefit from being 'extra close' in our bitter cold Ontario winters. NOPE! Another lesson learned.

 

[Debutante]

If you can separate the picked-on chickens out for a little while, even into dog cages or similar, they might look a bit better and more re-homeable after healing for a bit. You may also be able to explain that they're perfectly healthy, just a bit beat up. Any pics from before they were picked on, maybe?

Hi Fishkeeper. Thank you for your response. Yes, we're in the process of rearranging the flock to isolate several birds in an old barn coop. After that, once we figure out the 'trouble-makers' are, some birds will certainly be finding new homes! Yes, we definitely have LOTS of photos of when they were fully-feathered and beautiful. We got them as day-olds so they got their pics taken every few days, like a new baby. LOL!

 

[Debutante]

Don't beat yourself up. Overall, your attempted management of the problem has been pretty good.
Sometimes our best management techniques have glitches we need to deal with.
I'm with Mary and Sourland on moving the well feathered birds to the old coop. You didn't mention what feed you are using. I'm guessing the feed is layer which is likely 16% protein. Nor did you mention whether you offer scratch grains or table scraps. What have you done to increase the protein?
Even with free ranging, there is virtually no animal protein to be had outdoors this time of year.
If you get a few birds out of that building and again add some animal protein, I'll bet the problems will subside. Eliminate everything but chicken feed from the diet and add some fish or meat.
My go to for low cost per ounce is canned mackerel.
Crickets thrown in the bedding will keep the birds busy and add some good protein.
Keep in mind that usually the problem is space and protein since feathers are 93% protein.

Hi ChickenCanoe. Thank you very much for your response and all your great suggestions, as well as your words of encouragement.
You’re right, we have them on Masterfeeds Layer Crumble (18%). When all this started, we switched them from layer pellets to crumble because they seemed to eat it more readily. We give them occasional kitchen scraps and every day they get some very high protein, fish-based dry cat food (38% protein) and TONS of mealworms (we keep a colony going to feed wild Bluebirds). The chickens get ‘scratch’ only when we need them to come to us immediately, for whatever reason. I LOVE your idea of canned mackerel! That’s a new idea I haven’t heard of before and I’ll try to get some this week.
Thanks again! One of these days I’m hoping to post pics of my “new and improved” hens. After all this, they’d better look like they’ve been a a Spa for 3 months!

 

[Debutante]

the pinless peepers ate a great idea.
Maybe you should get them for the entire flock, couldn't hurt.

Hi Alaskan. Yes, I think Pinless Peepers would be a good thing to try next. I ordered some from Amazon yesterday. I opted for the ones that come with the pliers, instead of the spiky 'doo-dad' insertion apparatus. Not sure if that was right but they just seemed better made. Here are the ones I got...

 

[Debutante]

Pinless peepers worked for me when my lowest on the pecking order was molting. I had 5 hens at the time, so it was easy to see who were the culprits plucking the new feathers as fast as they were coming in. I put the pinless peepers on the 3 culprits for 3 weeks. Here is the result. The hen on the right. The 3 others were the culprits. GC

Hi GC-Raptor. Thank you for your response.
The Pinless Peepers seem to be a good idea and it’s interesting that you left them on for 3 weeks. I was wondering about that. I ordered some from Amazon yesterday.
I’m glad you were able to identify the bullies in your flock and solve the problem. It sure is aggravating to see beautiful new feather shafts appearing, only to be *gone* the next time you look! Your hen looks GREAT now. So glad you got the problem under control…it gives me hope.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hi ChickenCanoe. Thank you very much for your response and all your great suggestions, as well as your words of encouragement.
You’re right, we have them on Masterfeeds Layer Crumble (18%). When all this started, we switched them from layer pellets to crumble because they seemed to eat it more readily. We give them occasional kitchen scraps and every day they get some very high protein, fish-based dry cat food (38% protein) and TONS of mealworms (we keep a colony going to feed wild Bluebirds). The chickens get ‘scratch’ only when we need them to come to us immediately, for whatever reason. I LOVE your idea of canned mackerel! That’s a new idea I haven’t heard of before and I’ll try to get some this week.
Thanks again! One of these days I’m hoping to post pics of my “new and improved” hens. After all this, they’d better look like they’ve been a a Spa for 3 months!

I wanted to mention in my last post, some birds may prefer crumbles over pellets or vice versa. However, they are nutritionally the same if the same manufacturer and the same brand and protein content. Crumbles are pellets that have been run through a crumbler.
IMO, pellets provide superior nutrition because some of the additives in crumbled feed gets lost in the fines at the bottom of the feeder.
Sounds like they are getting plenty of protein. Looks like lowering stocking density is your best course of action. That and pinless peepers.

 

[Debutante]

I wanted to mention in my last post, some birds may prefer crumbles over pellets or vice versa. However, they are nutritionally the same if the same manufacturer and the same brand and protein content. Crumbles are pellets that have been run through a crumbler.
IMO, pellets provide superior nutrition because some of the additives in crumbled feed gets lost in the fines at the bottom of the feeder.
Sounds like they are getting plenty of protein. Looks like lowering stocking density is your best course of action. That and pinless peepers.

That's good to know that some birds have a preference for pellets! We've just found they generally eat more (volume- wise) if it's crumble but now I will put out both so each bird can have a choice.
Yes, as soon as they're "presentable" I'll be looking to rehome quite a few. We enjoy getting the pretty coloured eggs but honestly, I suspect it's a couple of the Easter Eggers who are the troublemakers. :-(

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hi OldHenLikesDogs. Thanks again for all your help. Really appreciate it!
Interesting points about the space requirements and that chickens don't necessarily *like* being close to one another. So true. Part of our 'theory' of pushing the limits on space was that they'd benefit from being 'extra close' in our bitter cold Ontario winters. NOPE! Another lesson learned.

We get pretty cold here in Wisconsin too in the winter. For the most part chickens keep themselves warm. Some will sit closer on the roosts and share warm but it has to be their idea.

With chickens there's always stuff to learn. I learned a lot of stuff the hard way too. Eventually you will find what works for you and your situation. Chickens for the most part are peaceful easy going birds once you find that place where everything is good.

I always give advice that has worked for me, but it may not work for someone else and their situation. Of course that's what keeps chicken keeping interesting as there no one right way. Read all you can, use what makes sense to you, tweak it as you go along until you find what's best for you and your flock.

Understanding chicken behaviors can go a long way to understanding their needs. The structure of the pecking order keeps order unless the territory is too small. Than they try to drive out or kill weaker birds to "make more room". So giving them enough room so they don't feel the need to do that is the most important thing to know. The other is a correct diet so they don't develop deficiencies and need to start doing thing to fix them themselves like egg eating and cannibalism.

Sorry I'm rambling.

 

[Debutante]

We get pretty cold here in Wisconsin too in the winter. For the most part chickens keep themselves warm. Some will sit closer on the roosts and share warm but it has to be their idea.
With chickens there's always stuff to learn. I learned a lot of stuff the hard way too. Eventually you will find what works for you and your situation. Chickens for the most part are peaceful easy going birds once you find that place where everything is good.
I always give advice that has worked for me, but it may not work for someone else and their situation. Of course that's what keeps chicken keeping interesting as there no one right way. Read all you can, use what makes sense to you, tweak it as you go along until you find what's best for you and your flock.
Understanding chicken behaviors can go a long way to understanding their needs. The structure of the pecking order keeps order unless the territory is too small. Than they try to drive out or kill weaker birds to "make more room". So giving them enough room so they don't feel the need to do that is the most important thing to know. The other is a correct diet so they don't develop deficiencies and need to start doing thing to fix them themselves like egg eating and cannibalism.
Sorry I'm rambling.

Haha! NO need to apologize! I love your "rambling". LOL! The more you say, the more I learn. I had never thought about chickens driving out or killing the weaker birds to "make more room" but it makes TOTAL sense when you really think about it! Thanks again. Your knowledge is awesome and I really appreciate you sharing it!