Help ASAP severe feather pecking

[Clucky12]

My chicken Goldie is a small gold/white bantam, who is pecking out all of my other chickens feathers and eating them. In most cases she is drawing quite a bit of blood, because you can see reddy brown scab patches on their skin. I don't know what the problem is, I have quite a large pen for them, with trees and bushes to dustbath/sunbath under etc, and I don't want to cull her, I love her, but I think it is getting a bit out of hand and don't know what to do. Please help?!

 

[ellie32526]

My chicken Goldie is a small gold/white bantam, who is pecking out all of my other chickens feathers and eating them. In most cases she is drawing quite a bit of blood, because you can see reddy brown scab patches on their skin. I don't know what the problem is, I have quite a large pen for them, with trees and bushes to dustbath/sunbath under etc, and I don't want to cull her, I love her, but I think it is getting a bit out of hand and don't know what to do. Please help?!

I have a problem with my hens losing feathers from over breeding because my clumsy roo is over zealous. Once the feathers are broken and the skin is exposed the other hens start to peck those areas. For those being pecked, I use Blukote spray to cover red spots and discourage continued pecking.

For the one doing the pecking if you can't get it to stop you may need to separate that one from the rest for a few days. Sometimes if they see anything that looks abnormal to them, they will peck it and that creates a bloody spot, so they continue to peck it. I spray with the Blukote to camouflage the spot that's being pecked and give time for regrowth.

 

[Clucky12]

ok i will seperate for a while thank you so much for the info!!

 

[Clucky12]

also where do you get the spray from?

 

[ellie32526]

also where do you get the spray from?

I bought BluKote from Tractor Supply but you can probably get from any farm or feed store

 

[Eggcessive]

The BluKote from feed stores can mask the redness to not attract more pecking, and Nustock or bag balm can act as an anti-pick lotion because they taste bad. Chickens will actually cannibalize one another after they see red or blood. Three things to look at are: increasing your protein in the food by giving at least 16% layer and supplementing that with gamebird feed, ground meat, or dry cat food to get the protein near 20 %. Flock raiser or unmedicated chiock feed are good substitutes if you add crushed oyster shell on the side for calcium. Make sure they have plenty of room, and things to climb on and explore. Hanging greens or cabbage, rocks, outside roosts are some things to use. Separation of the bully away from the others in a cage may help.

 

[Clucky12]

thank you so much for all the information, i will try and get this little bully sorted out!