Hen-pecked hen

[Sparrowsong98]

Hi
I have an EE hen that is looking very picked over by her flockmates. The muff is almost all gone, and she has no more feathers on her face, and just looks awful. Is there some king of herb, or other home remedie I can put on her to keep the other hens from pecking her? I have read about bad tasting sprays you can put on them and was wondering if that is something I can make.

 

[azygous]

I have the same problem with my two youngest EEs. Their beards are gone, several times over. I gave up. The beard and muffs on EEs are such a unique feature, almost all chickens focus on them and can't stop themselves from messing with them.

But you can try a couple of things. If you know who the perpetrators are, pinless peepers work pretty well in stopping feather picking. At least for awhile until the wearers figure out a work-around.

You can mix up a "no-pick" concoction, but these have only mixed results. Many chickens aren't discouraged by the taste. Here's my recipe:

Vick's Vapo Rub with some grape Kool-aid powder (unsweetened) and a dash of Pepto-Bismol. This closely mimics Rooster Booster Pick-no-mor. But be warned, it's messy and the victim hates it, especially around their head area.