Hen pecking & feather regrowth

[nicolevg]

We received our 10 hens exactly one month ago on May 10th from a local woman and her family who raise chickens and other livestock for local sale. We have 4 Buff Orpingtons, 4 Ameraucanas, and 2 olive eggers. She purchased the chickens from an online hatchery, raised them, and sold them to us at 1-year old since, as a brand new chicken keeper, I didn't want to have to deal with raising chicks & possibly/probably killing them from my lack of experience. (I already have a 4yo, 2yo and newborn. I don't need anymore new baby experiences right now lol).

Here's a pic of the day we received the hens. Notice they already had feather patches missing on their backs and butts. The original owner said they'd been with one of her roosters 6 weeks prior & that their feathers would start growing back, assuming I gave them enough protein in their diet, which I've been very vigilant about. However, here we are, a month later, and they still almost all look exactly the same as they did... some even worse now due to hen pecking. We expanded their run space, so they have more room now. And I let them out for 1-4 hours daily to free range around our acre property, which seems to have helped their boredom. Yet their feathers still aren't growing back, and they often have red/irritated-looking skin showing, especially around their vents.

Can any more experienced chicken keepers give me any tips or ideas as to what they think is happening and why? I'd like my chickens to be as healthy as possible with as lush, beautiful feathers as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

If there's angriness around the vent, have you checked for mites? That's one of their favorite places to aggravate. If you think they're doing it to each other, you can try putting fresh bedding in their run and some kind of treats/toys to distract them. I like to tie up cabbages (because who doesn't like to watch chickens hop?) and I'll occasionally throw in one of those worm balls full of the dried meal worms and they go to town on that sucker.

 

[nicolevg]

Some more details:
The buffs have never had feathers on their backs as long as I've had them, and all of them had/have their butts pecked bare too. 3/4 of the Ameraucanas have at least some/all back feathers still missing with 1 seeming to have enough regrowth coming in to cover their skin from my sight. And the olive eggers are the best of them all with only 1 moderately patchy/skin showing and the other mostly full.

All hens have their butts pecked, the buffs being the worst/most extensive of them all. The buffs' pecked skin is really red and irritated-looking most days. I haven't bathed them or put any salve on them or anything since we got them... I probably should. But they're still all very skittish around me and my family, and I really don't want to deal with bathing a chicken that doesn't calm down around me.

 

[nicolevg]

If there's angriness around the vent, have you checked for mites? That's one of their favorite places to aggravate. If you think they're doing it to each other, you can try putting fresh bedding in their run and some kind of treats/toys to distract them. I like to tie up cabbages (because who doesn't like to watch chickens hop?) and I'll occasionally throw in one of those worm balls full of the dried meal worms and they go to town on that sucker.

I give them broccoli stalks every other day (sometimes daily... we eat a lot of broccoli) & have given them several cabbages hanging on a hook for them to peck at. Before we got them, I also put SOOO much diatomaceous dirt in their coop and mixed it in with the dirt in their run, so I thought that'd be enough to deter the mites. I don't keep bedding (pine shavings) in their run, just in the coop. Their run is dirt and dust with DE mixed in with their dust... should I add pine shavings to the run too?

I still haven't actually picked up the chickens to inspect them or look for mites. Should I? I don't know what I'd be looking for... just red, irritated skin? They do all have some sparse down feathers around their vents. It's the feathers/skin around the butt (especially on the buffs) that's been pecked bare.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I give them broccoli stalks every other day (sometimes daily... we eat a lot of broccoli) & have given them several cabbages hanging on a hook for them to peck at. Before we got them, I also put SOOO much diatomaceous dirt in their coop and mixed it in with the dirt in their run, so I thought that'd be enough to deter the mites. I don't keep bedding (pine shavings) in their run, just in the coop. Their run is dirt and dust with DE mixed in with their dust... should I add pine shavings to the run too?

I still haven't actually picked up the chickens to inspect them or look for mites. Should I? I don't know what I'd be looking for... just red, irritated skin? They do all have some sparse down feathers around their vents. It's the feathers/skin around the butt (especially on the buffs) that's been pecked bare.

Check at night, that's when it's easiest and the mites generally come out to feast. They're hard to miss especially on bare skin. Just look for tiny tiny moving things. You'll probably be grossed out if they're there.

I'd suggest a dust with peremethrin in it. Birds tolerate it well. Do they dust bathe? If not you could always set up a special tub or something with sand and dust in it. But if they are, then it might be a good idea to get one of those no peck sprays that turn the area blue. I think they also make salves that discourage pecking. Either or...just put it on to see if it discourages the behavior.

 

[nicolevg]

Check at night, that's when it's easiest and the mites generally come out to feast. They're hard to miss especially on bare skin. Just look for tiny tiny moving things. You'll probably be grossed out if they're there.

I'd suggest a dust with peremethrin in it. Birds tolerate it well. Do they dust bathe? If not you could always set up a special tub or something with sand and dust in it. But if they are, then it might be a good idea to get one of those no peck sprays that turn the area blue. I think they also make salves that discourage pecking. Either or...just put it on to see if it discourages the behavior.

Thanks! Yes, they dust bathe in the dust in the run as well as in the dirt/dust around our property when I let them out. I have a dedicated dust bathing tub in their run with dust, DE & sand, but they usually prefer making their own dust bathing holes around the run. I just went out to see them while they sleep, & I couldn't see anything moving on them or their skin... so, no mites? At least not that I could tell. I think their skin looks pretty good, just red and bare.

Do you have a brand(s) you could recommend for the anti-pecking spray? I think I'll get something like that.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I use Blu-Kote, but some have reservations about using it. I've also used Rooster Booster Pick-No-More, but I don't like it as much as it makes a bit of a mess and it's not great for larger areas like the back.

 

[aart]

The feathers won't grow back until they molt.
Keep them on a good chicken ration(18-20% protein).
Cut out all the veg, maybe once a week.

How big is their coop and run, in feet by feet?
Crowding may just exacerbate what might already be a bad habit.

 

[nicolevg]

The feathers won't grow back until they molt.
Keep them on a good chicken ration(18-20% protein).
Cut out all the veg, maybe once a week.

How big is their coop and run, in feet by feet?
Crowding may just exacerbate what might already be a bad habit.

Really? Cut out all vegetables? What’s the rational behind that? We give them a good amount of table scraps… at least one large handful per chicken per day, plus they free range on the grasses and weeds and bugs on the vacant property next to ours for several hours a day. Their feed is currently 18-19% protein. The coop is 30 sq ft and the run is 50 sq ft for 10 standard sized hens. I thought it may be crowding, but after watching them, I think it’s probably boredom or just one of the buffs being really mean and dominant (we’ve named her Karen).

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the entire feather is gone it should start growing back in a few weeks. You should be seeing pin feathers. If any part of the shaft is left that feather will not grow back until she molts. I don't care how much protein you force down them, if any of the shaft is left it will not grow back until she molts. I think that's a big part of what is going on.

Your coop and run are very tight. Any behavioral problems can be made much worse by crowding. Overcrowding can be a cause of feather picking. To me the best boredom buster is giving them plenty of room. Think about your kids. Are they better behaved when they are shoehorned into a small space and left there or are they better behaved when they have more room? Are you seeing feather picking when they are out foraging or when they are cooped up in that tiny run?

It sounds like you have identified one specific hen that is feather picking, quite likely pecking pin feathers as they start to grow back. You can try isolating that hen for a week or so to see if you can break her of the habit of picking feathers. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

Regular chicken feed contains all the nutrients and stuff they need for a balanced diet. That's protein, fats, salt, amino acids, fiber, and many other things. They don't need any treats to help them with a balanced diet. But many of us like to give them treats. Mine get kitchen wastes and garden wastes and excess. I toss fruit into them from the orchard. Like yours mine forage for a lot of their food too so I've lost all control over micromanaging their diet. Still I try to not overdo it with the treats. A general rule of thumb on here is that if you limit their treats to about 10% of their daily diet so that the chicken feed is at least 90% of what they eat they maintain that balanced diet. How do you know what makes up 10% of their diet? Another rule of thumb, it's not an exact science. If they can clean up their treats in about 10 to 20 minutes you are good to go. That's daily.

Good luck, these things are not always easy.