Feather Picking in Rain

[micstrachan]

So my Black Australorp, Bagheera, has a habit of feather pecking the back of her flock mate, my Brown Leghorn, Margo. Both are high in the pecking order. The younger girls fear the wrath of Margo, but not Bagheera. It’s an interesting dynamic.
Anyway, when I switched the flock from a 16% protein layer feed to a 20% protein grower feed, the pecking stopped.
Here in California, we’ve had a dry (like scary, drought dry) winter. We just had two days of (almost) solid rain. Yay! But today Margo was missing back feathers again. What to do? Here’s the deets:
•Nine chickens. All different breeds. Three just turned 2. Six will be 1 at the end of the month.
•No rooster
•Coop space is approx 40 sq. ft. (bi-level) plus ~15 sq.ft. hardware cloth area that is below second level, but not necessarily open daily. I open it for sure in inclement weather for more covered area. Floor of coop has pine shavings. Rice hulls under roosts.
•Run/pen is approx 250 sq.ft., but only covered in chicken wire. Partly covered in shade cloth and tarp. Just started deep litter method this year (in run only)
•There is a mini coop in the run I used in between brooder and bigger coop. It takes up some space, but the girls use it for cover in rain, plus it adds interest.
•About an hour daily freerange time week days (on about an acre of lush green)
•Several hours freerange time weekends (weather permitting... I’ll even stand out with an umbrella so they can get their time.)
•Four nest boxes, but they’re pretty small. Need to add a larger one somewhere. The Wyandottes prefer to make a nest in pine shavings in the floor.
•All hand raised, sweet, lap sitters
•Feed and clean water available free choice all day. I have two large feeders, plus scatter several smaller ones around so lower ranked girls always get to eat, too. There are four waterers.
•Used to offer more treats, but pulled back for a healthier flock. Will use millet or tuna to call them back to the pen).

Anything more I can do to prevent the feather pecking when they’re cooped up? I only lock them in the secure coop at night, but they choose to hang out in there if it gets stormy. I really love my flock and am trying to be a the best chicken keeper I can be. They’re pretty well loved. After all my research, I feel I’m doing a pretty good job and was pretty excited when the higher protein feed stopped the pecking. Bummed it returned with the rain. Advice would be appreciated!

 

[aart]

I'm guessing their confinement due to the inclement weather has restarted the pecking habit.

Coop space is approx 40 sq. ft. (bi-level)

Not sure what "bi-level" means....and what other stuff is in coop that might reduce space and I couldn't find any pics of your coop to see.

There's not much you can do to alleviate crowding except provide more space.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do I understand correctly, the feather picking resumed when they were "cooped up" due to rain. Do you let them have the option to venture out when raining or do you keep them locked in?

I have one that isn't partial to rain, but the others don't care and tromp around, but I do have 288sqft. of roofed run, the rest has no roof so they have the option to get wet or stay dry. Even in cold weather, they decide.

It sounds like Bagheera may be a bit bored or falling back into a bad habit - especially if the picking stopped when you increased protein. Give them something to do during the day when they are cooped in/confined. I hang up kale, apple, cabbage, etc.
If mine spend the day in the coop due to wind/snow/weather (-degrees), then I toss a little scratch in their bedding or even finely chop some greens or broccoli and scatter it in the bedding - they spend hours finding those little broccoli seed thingies

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It sounds like the problem has been and is both boredom and a desire for more protein.
Maybe some crickets or mealworms tossed into the bedding in the coop as a busying high protein treat.

 

[micstrachan]

By bi-level, I just meant the square footage isn’t all at the same level. There are two sections, staggered like stairs. They really tend to only use the upper level at roost time, even through it has decent space.
I’m attaching photos of the main coop (with my kid and pullets from two years ago when the coop was new, so you can get a feel for size):


The same coop at night where you can see the doorway cut to the addition. Before you critique the skinny branch roost under the Barred Rock & Brown Leghorn, .. it has since been replaced with a much thicker branch, plus I wrap their roosts in towels in winter:


The same coop where you can see the little door to their mini “sun room,” which is under the addition (Wyandottes like to lay eggs in that corner for whatever reason):



plus the addition itself:


Pen section #1 with mini grow-up coop inside it:


Pen section #2:


The ”sun room” (under the room with the circle window, which has more ventilation now):


One of the areas they get to forage when free ranging, which they only get to do when I can supervise due to wide range of predators:


More free range area:


Even more free range area, plus there’s another almost acre next door:


Note: Their feed and water are NOT usually inside the coop, they just happen to be in some of these old photos.

They always have access to the run, except at night when I lock them up. I spent hours outside in the rain with them today. When they get to free range, they don’t mind the rain as long as it’s not pouring. When it rains and they’re locked in the pen, they choose to stay inside the coop.

I don’t think I can offer any more space. The key for us may be to offer additional entertainment on rainy days. Please let me know if you think of anything else. Thanks for the input!

 

[micstrachan]

Oh, and I forgot to mention... I *do* want to eventually put a roof on the run (and replace the chicken wire walls with hardware cloth.) Time, skill level, and money are prohibitive. I may do one of those wavy fiberglass roofs over at least part of the run.