I am not an expert by any means, so if someone else chimes in with something that sounds better - go for it.

This, however, is my thoughts based on my experience and a bit of judgement (? correct? incorrect?) on my part.

1) If you can place 'baffles' in the coop/run so not all hens pecking the ground with butts in the air will be visible to Scarlett may help. ( something like physical visual barriers like large stumps, hanging cloths randomly within the coop (and/or run), etc. Any physical/visual things to break up lines of sight.

2) Whenever possible, hang some food item for them to peck at (multiple ones at a time) Such as: apples, cabbages ( decent sized ones can be halved or quartered), creating multiple different things to be pecked at, so all aren't at the same one jockeying for access This will keep them occupied with something other than each other's butts!

3) If possible, have hubby move things around in the coop/run once a week. Keep them off balance and ';re-exploring' their area to investigate changes.

4) If you can find any, see if hubby can on the weekend, rake up a bunch of leaves (damp ones are super) and throw them into the run/coop floor. Give them something new to scratch/hunt in/through.

5) Give them a new 'toy' that has treats they have to work for. I don't have a picture of one I have used...but I will try to explain it. Take a ROUND/Cylindrical plastic seasoning container (such as an empty oregano or italian seasoning container) Drill a half dozen small holes in it at various spots around the container. Fill with scratch grain, toss into run. The chickens will have to move/roll the container to get it to 'spill' its contents. Makes them work for the scratch and keeps them occupied. Just make sure the drilled holes are only slightly bigger than the diameter of the scratch grains, so just a little falls out with each movement of the container, and note that you may need to lightly sand around the drill holes to remove the sharp burrs caused by drilling.

Obviously - with #5, don't overdo the amount of scratch they get daily - but a couple of these 'toys/treat dispensers' can give them quite a bit of entertainment with not a whole lot of scratch. It keeps them physically 'busy', mentally occupied, and most definitely focused on something else than their companions fluffy derrière!

6) are you able to easily get a bag of rice hulls? @micstrachan buys them sometimes - her girls love scratching through - I suspect they find pieces of rice mixed in with the hulls. The hulls make a good additive to their bedding, and rice fragments give them incentive to be digging, scratching and pecking through the hulls.

Lastly, if you can purchase a different bedding than usual, just once...and top-off or clean out the coop/run and use the different bedding, it will - for a short time - create interest.

(If the girls bottoms are pretty exposed, then dabbing some anti-peck on them to darken the bright pink of flesh may also help to keep it from escalating. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the product, but there is an anti-peck spray/daub on treatment just for this purpose. - maybe someone else can chime in with the name of the product? :idunno )

So, no one of these alone will fix the issue, I suspect, but more space and a couple of these suggestions might make a noticeable difference.

And, while I hate to suggest this, it could be a 'last resort' kind of thing - especially if it is pretty much JUST Scarlett who is the culprit. You might be able to put her in a 'see but not touch' cage/pen within the coop/run so she can't peck the other's bottoms/feathers - at least during the day, for a short period of time to see if it helps. if you do this, please do give her something to occupy her time, so she doesn't develop other bad coping behaviors.

Sorry for the long windedness of this...and know that I am quite sure you have thought of at least some of these things already - but it is all I've got.:idunno I do so hope that you are able to help her find other, more 'constructive' things to occupy her time!:fl:fl



Edited to add: @BY Bob has an excellent point that I completely overlooked: level of protein in their diet. Maybe try a feather fixer feed in a separate feeder for a bit to see if that makes a difference? (or just use it in their regular feeder in place of what you are using)feather fixer is usually slightly higher in protein (or, alternatively, pick up a bag of grower feed in your usual brand - that is also usually higher in protein than the standard layer feed.) They can then choose the higher protein if they so want.
These are ALL great ideas! Yes, my girls go absolutely crazy for rice hulls. They will even choose scratching through rice hulls over ranging!
 
It is killing me not to be there!
Just four days short of eleven months old and Bernadette is exploring the nest boxes.
I can’t see all the way in with my cameras but I think she is building a castle as she has been in there 45 mins moving bedding into her chosen spot (before changing her mind and moving to another spot).
I can’t bear it that my trip looks like it will cause me to miss being there for her first egg.
Of course this might be a practice run - Babs spent four days doing this before she laid - so who knows.
The lady caring for chickens and cats knows to take a photo, but I am a bit hurt Bernie didn’t wait for me to get home (and her full 11 month point).
Here she is in construction mode.
View attachment 3407990
Dreadful beast! hahaha!

Well 'hugs' for you, and if she lays an egg while you're away then that will be something for you to get all eggcited about ❤️ 💕 I fill my days here watching my chooks on the camera, and at times yelling at them during the bedtime drama - the disembodied voice :)

And there is always hope that she takes her sweet time about laying her egg until you do return home :love After all she has spent all this time!
 
I don't remember what your set-up is like, but I did have a feather plucking problem my first winter with pullets. Bistro was the culprit. She has the smallest body mass and is the best flyer and didn't like to go outside in the cold. She would just sit by the door to the coop, idly plucking the one bird with a beard and then moved on to neck/chest feathers. Luckily spring soon arrived and she was busy with her normal chicken business, so this behaviour stopped.

The next winter, I gave the ladies access to the storage side of the coop and made another run, this one covered and incorporated a covered area into the original large run. This gave Bistro snow free areas to explore even in winter and she has never restarted this bad habit again.

So, the short answer is try to evaluate their living conditions. Could this just be a high energy hen who needs more room? Do they have enough enrichment in their lives? You mentioned protein, could a weekly treat of some sardines help? Just some ideas. Let us know what happens next!

My reformed feather plucker:

View attachment 3407987
Bistro is a beautiful Girl...I'm very glad she is reformed! ❤️

Great advise. Bored chickens = problem behaviors. Just like kids!
:th🙄
 
I do, there is red coloring and then there is blue. What more is there to know?

(Just kidding :oops:)
Actually, isn't it red and black @rural mouse , and then dilution of black = blue (sort of), then the barring gene then the xxx gene, and the qqq gene and the??? gene that all create different patterns/dilutions, etc.:lau:lau:lau

Something like that anyways. I need to find what book RM uses as a reference! The feather color site she linked to only gives results, not the 'whys' I need to understand the whys to figure out the results without having to use a results calculator every.single.time.!
 
I've had hawks attack while I was standing with the chickens. You are only somewhat of a deterrent. The hawks here are simply not afraid of humans.

Satan the Hawk let me get this close.
View attachment 3407788
Look at the talons on that sucker - WOW! Amazing! And that beak!

You have to admit - they are an awesome hunting machine 😳
 
It is killing me not to be there!
Just four days short of eleven months old and Bernadette is exploring the nest boxes.
I can’t see all the way in with my cameras but I think she is building a castle as she has been in there 45 mins moving bedding into her chosen spot (before changing her mind and moving to another spot).
I can’t bear it that my trip looks like it will cause me to miss being there for her first egg.
Of course this might be a practice run - Babs spent four days doing this before she laid - so who knows.
The lady caring for chickens and cats knows to take a photo, but I am a bit hurt Bernie didn’t wait for me to get home (and her full 11 month point).
Here she is in construction mode.
View attachment 3407990
awe!
Well, you know, this is a momentous occasion - she has to get the nest just so ! It will take her a bit of practice to get it right - she thought she would work on it while you were away so she could have the perfect nest with a surprise egg in it for your return 🥰 🥰
 
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Dear Aurora

My name is Peep. I am a Japanese bantam and i live in Connecticut, although i am completely breathtaking, with my deep masculine crow and crazy long legs, no girls seem interested in me. Humans compare my masculine voice to a squeak toy or a balloon leaking helium. Is it possible that their delusions are rubbing off onto my lovely ladies? I have had to resort to long, unblinking eye contact from the bushes in hopes i would impress a lady but they still run. I have tried everything from chasing to tidbitting rusty screws and pinecones but alas nothing is working. Even tid bitting food and eating it when they run over before they can. I so desperately need your advice, View attachment 3407932

clearly, its a girl problem. They always make these weird honks after pooping out their white golf ball and are dramatic about everything. But what can i do to impress these golf ball dispensers?




Yours sincerely, Peep
Oh Peep you handsome little man - I am sure if you were here my wee Fluffy would love you :)

I will leave Aurora to explain the golf balls to you!

Even my gals have them. That's a golf ball...
snuggle.JPG
 

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