Help I have a butt pecker

[Bawkbok]

It sounds like it's more assertiveness than typical hierarchy establishment. Sometimes a chicken just exhibits bad behavior and causes stress for everyone else in the flock. You don't want that to be the case long term. A flock should be harmonious with occasional pecks for territory space but otherwise, everyone should be able to access food and water at will without being bullied away. Is she guarding or preventing others from accessing food and water have you noticed?
If she is relentless with her attacks on others, it will create constant stress and stress can affect egg laying production in all the chickens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

In the post I mentioned nutrena layer crumble and give fruits veggies and meal worms regularly as treats

Agree with @BlindLemonChicken. Layer feed typically has about 16% protein; the other formulas she mentioned will have about 20%. But you do have to supplement calcium with oyster shell or otherwise. Read your labels.

 

[Hannah2911]

I would cut out the treats and get a feed with higher protein for a while and see if it stops the butt pecking. If they are laying you could do an all-flock or even chick starter with oyster shell or crushed egg shell on the side. You might try this for a few weeks and see if it helps.

I will try a higher protein. I have seen 20% they are on 17%

 

[Hannah2911]

It sounds like it's more assertiveness than typical hierarchy establishment. Sometimes a chicken just exhibits bad behavior and causes stress for everyone else in the flock. You don't want that to be the case long term. A flock should be harmonious with occasional pecks for territory space but otherwise, everyone should be able to access food and water at will without being bullied away. Is she guarding or preventing others from accessing food and water have you noticed?
If she is relentless with her attacks on others, it will create constant stress and stress can affect egg laying production in all the chickens.

Well I don’t watch them all day but in the evening when I go out there it’s pretty rough. She will eat a bit and then do it and then eat and do it again. She lets others eat. There are 3 older than 2. About 2-3 months apart. The bigs occasionally make the littles go away from the feeder but they don’t attack them or peck they just are higher ranked. But I have a feeder on each end so the littles will just go to the other end and end. I think that’s fairly normal for pecking order. Occasional squabble but this one is the only one that’s persistent. She doesn’t guard the water either.

 

[Bawkbok]

Double feeders is good. It sounds like you're doing the right things.
Hopefully by increasing the protein content of their feed by going to an all flock 20% will help. 17% is not bad but it may not be enough for her.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If that doesn't help after a while you might consider the pinless peepers for her. Good luck!

 

[thecatumbrella]

You may want to consider trying pinless peepers on her.

I do not like pinless peepers at all (no shade to people that use them more readily), but I 100% would use them in the case. You do not want to mess around with butt picking. This could turn from harmless to deadly in a flash.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I do not like pinless peepers at all (no shade to people that use them more readily), but I 100% would use them in the case. You do not want to mess around with butt picking. This could turn from harmless to deadly in a flash.

Hopefully she might only have to wear thrm for a week or two to break the habit.

 

[Hannah2911]

I do not like pinless peepers at all (no shade to people that use them more readily), but I 100% would use them in the case. You do not want to mess around with butt picking. This could turn from harmless to deadly in a flash.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Hopefully she might only have to wear thrm for a week or two to break the habit.

Yes, this is an important peeper point! They're not something you can just throw on there indefinitely without some health risk. You are shoving something in their nostril. I would do a couple weeks (along with the other good suggestions on feed/clutter/etc), then test her while you give her nares a break. If she won't knock it off, peepers will have to go back on. The alternative is culling.

Hope you can get it nipped in the bud!