Have a feather plucker.. who to separate?

[margiejoe]

Hi! Looking for some advice. I have 4 chickens: two older pullets about four months old and two younger pullets about two months old. I integrated the younger ones and I thought all was well. But then, they had one bad day while I was on vacation where they didn’t get let out (caretaker mix up) and got bored, and one older girl had her tail pulled out and one younger girl had her chest feathers pulled out. I think the culprit is the other younger girl. The chest feather pulled out one is growing feathers back ok, though I notice new bald spots occasionally. The one with the tail issue though isn’t healing, and it keeps getting messed with and bleeding occasionally. I want her to be able to heal and grow her tail back so I am going to set up another coop and separate them. Just wondering who should get to stay in the original coop? Does it have some sort of affect on the pecking order to separate them?

 

[Kiki]

Separating them and then adding them back together could cause more issues.
How big/small is your current coop? Can you post pictures of the coop and the birds?

 

[margiejoe]

Separating them and then adding them back together could cause more issues.
How big/small is your current coop? Can you post pictures of the coop and the birds?

Coop is about 16.5 square feet. They have been struggling with figuring out how to roost so maybe that has something to do with it? There was a roost and they didn’t like it so they were sleeping in the nesting boxes, and that’s where the feather pulling started. So we blocked the boxes and added a ladder type roost with smaller bars (the one they didn’t like had a wider bar) but now they use the ladder to get up on top of the wall and roost on top of the wall all next to each other. I don’t feel like that is ideal.

Here are some pictures
Shadow- the one with tail issue

Shadow next to Hunny Bunny (the alleged culprit)

Hunny bunny with Sunny(chest feather issue)

Sunny’s chest

Wilma on the left, not getting picked on. She’s the most docile and submissive

Coop, can see the top of the wall where they roost

 

[Kiki]

Your coop is too small to keep them locked up in and it can be the problem.
Can you double the size of the run and make it predator proof so that way they don't have to stay in the coop at all times?

What do you feed?

 

[FunClucks]

You'll have to extend the top of that wall up to the roof if you don't want them roosting up there. Or install the plastic type of bird spikes on top of that plywood wall.

you can extend the wall to the roof using chicken wire I think, just a physical barrier should do it, that way you can keep the ventilation. Trim it out with some 1/2" x 1" boards to give it some shape, if you're able, but just stapeling it in place should work on the plywood bottom end. I've strung wire (like zip line or chain link fence tie wire) across an opening, and connected chicken wire to the straight horizontal wire to give a top edge for putting up chicken wire, so you might try that at your metal roof to avoid staples, if you can't frame it out up there with wood very well.

x2 on your coop is too small. You want a minimum of 4 sq feet per chicken of open floor space. 10 sq ft minimum per chicken in the run is recommended also. I do a total of 15 sq feet per chicken because I have one covered open air run (no coop) that is predator secure, and I don't free range due to predators.

 

[margiejoe]

Your coop is too small to keep them locked up in and it can be the problem.
Can you double the size of the run and make it predator proof so that way they don't have to stay in the coop at all times?

What do you feed?

Sorry, should have specified, they are not locked in it all day, they have access to their run (predator proof) which is about 32 square feet and they are also allowed to free range each day with supervision, and they also have a pen outside their run they get to spend a couple hours each day unsupervised and it’s probably 45+ square feet

They get Purina starter/grower and occasional fruits and veggies, occasional oats. I think it’s getting time for the older ones to get a different feed though?

 

[Kiki]

Sorry, should have specified, they are not locked in it all day, they have access to their run (predator proof) which is about 32 square feet and they are also allowed to free range each day with supervision, and they also have a pen outside their run they get to spend a couple hours each day unsupervised and it’s probably 45+ square feet

They get Purina starter/grower and occasional fruits and veggies, occasional oats. I think it’s getting time for the older ones to get a different feed though?

Stop feeding the fruits and veggies and oats. That could possibly be part of the problem too because those things are taking away from them getting a balanced diet which includes enough protein.

 

[margiejoe]

You'll have to extend the top of that wall up to the roof if you don't want them roosting up there. Or install the plastic type of bird spikes on top of that plywood wall.

you can extend the wall to the roof using chicken wire I think, just a physical barrier should do it, that way you can keep the ventilation. Trim it out with some 1/2" x 1" boards to give it some shape, if you're able, but just stapeling it in place should work on the plywood bottom end. I've strung wire (like zip line or chain link fence tie wire) across an opening, and connected chicken wire to the straight horizontal wire to give a top edge for putting up chicken wire, so you might try that at your metal roof to avoid staples, if you can't frame it out up there with wood very well.

x2 on your coop is too small. You want a minimum of 4 sq feet per chicken of open floor space. 10 sq ft minimum per chicken in the run is recommended also. I do a total of 15 sq feet per chicken because I have one covered open air run (no coop) that is predator secure, and I don't free range due to predators.

Ok, thanks for the information. I think the coop is the right size but run is a little small. I try to get them outside as often as I can. I think we’ll try blocking the wall like you said and a different roost situation. Thanks!

 

[margiejoe]

Stop feeding the fruits and veggies and oats. That could possibly be part of the problem too because those things are taking away from them getting a balanced diet which includes enough protein.

Ok, would a higher protein feed help too? I saw there is one specifically to help with feather growth

 

[Kiki]

Ok, would a higher protein feed help too? I saw there is one specifically to help with feather growth

No, not necessarily just higher protein but a balanced diet would definitely help.