Help, I have a feather picker!

[Ohio Chick]

So I have a mixed flock that have been together since they hatched. One of my Golden Laced Wyandottes have always picked at her sisters occasionally but until recently I haven't worried too much about it. They are all laying now & have their adult feathers. Recently I noticed a few hens missing some feathers in their back end. Upon further inspection I found some blood & swelling where the feathers were pulled. I started watching the girls closer & witnessed Madeline pulling at her sister's feathers & causing some damage. She only pecks at hens that are below her in the pecking order but it's multiple hens. I'm not sure what to do with her, this is my first flock. Other than this she's a good chicken. We built a cage inside the coop & have separated her for now. I read that a few days in time out could help. I'm going to look for a spray, any advice on a brand? Any advice in general would be helpful.

 

[venymae]

Try feeding her a high protein feed, or high protein treats like canned tuna, cooked chicken, or cooked eggs. As a hen who is higher on the pecking order, she gets first dibs on treats, which are usually low in protein. Protein deficiency can cause feather picking.

If this ISN"T the issue, you can try pinless peepers, which are made to stop chickens from picking at others. Hope this helps!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Space can also cause picking as can boredom.

How big is the coop? How big is the run?
How many birds are in the flock?

 

[mestenos]

I've had a couple of hens before that pecked all the others while nobody else bothered them. They had plenty of protein, got to free range a lot, etc.. Eventually I had to cull them. There was one year when I had a bunch of chicks that missed a feeding or something and learned to be cannibals from then on. They didn't lack anything as adults but still pecked each other to the stubble and the flock was a mess until I gradually replaced all of them. I guess it's a habit that gets picked up and is very, very hard to break, from my experience.

 

[venymae]

I've had a couple of hens before that pecked all the others while nobody else bothered them. They had plenty of protein, got to free range a lot, etc.. Eventually I had to cull them. There was one year when I had a bunch of chicks that missed a feeding or something and learned to be cannibals from then on. They didn't lack anything as adults but still pecked each other to the stubble and the flock was a mess until I gradually replaced all of them. I guess it's a habit that gets picked up and is very, very hard to break, from my experience.

and this is what pinless peepers are for!

 

[chickens really]

Hello...Here is a list of possible causes of feather pecking..
Feed does not have enough protein. 18% for layers.
Too crowded
Too warm
Too brightly lit in Coop..
Getting too many treats ...

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

If your chickens are bored they can also start to pick at each other. Try hanging a cabbage in their run for them to pick at.

 

[Pork Pie]

These links may help you:
Feather pecking

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1148824/topic-of-the-week-feather-pecking-eating

http://articles.extension.org/pages...nibalism-in-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[aart]

Any advice in general would be helpful.

Please provide the information asked in bold below.

Space can also cause picking as can boredom.

How big is the coop? How big is the run?
How many birds are in the flock?

These are very important questions and the first ones that need to be answered.
Need dimensions of coop and run, in feet by feet, and pics would really help too.
Crowding can cause picking to become a horrible habit.
A very close second question would be:
What and how exactly are you feeding?
If these tow things are not the problem, then other devices may help.

 

[lazy gardener]

Aart hit the nail on the head. More information needed about environment and management before useful assistance can be provided. Also, what time of day does this happen? Have you observed them at night to see if it's a roosting issue? And do they free range at all?