Help - Need Feedback to care for one hen

[mark1guy]

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

I have 11 hens and 1 rooster. The hen house is 8' x 10' and 1.5 story. The hen run is 10' x 12'. The problem is my barred rock, which is probably my biggest hen is having feathers picked from around its bum and above its tail feathers. The main feed is 18% protein layer, they get some whole wheat bread every day (versus scratch), and armfull of bokchoy (daily) and 24 capelin (cooked) once a week.

I purposely feed the hens capeline to provide a high protein animal feed source in hoping that some of the hard to find amino acids that might be missing in the 18% layer and bokchoy. And for treats they get BOSS. Layer pellet is available all the time.

I am thinking about separating the Barred Rock until feathers grown back out to cover the bare skin. No blood has been drawn yet but I'm hoping to prevent them from turning to cannabilism. Also no other hen has feathers missing like this.

Please help.

Thanks

 

[Judy]

Better to figure out who the lead bully is and separate him or her. Chicken jail for several days should change her attitude. Since they must return at the bottom of the pecking order after such a separation, you would just be reinforcing the barred rock's low status. Better to do that to the bully.

Here we have a product called BluKote that is often used on areas like her tail to prevent pecking: http://www.drugs.com/vet/dr-naylor-blu-kote.html

The main ingredient is gentian violet. It' sold for horses. I would think you could get something like it.

If you get the bully out, hopefully the others will leave her alone.

 

[mark1guy]

Thanks. I'll try that.