Hen Pecking

[jenyfromthecoop]

Hello fellow chicken lovers! I would love some advise on the behavior of my flock. I have 20 assorted laying hens all about 6 months old that I purchased at a local feed store when they were just a few days old. My hens have started picking on each other terribly and picking at each others lower back were their tails feathers start. This has left a large bald spot on their backs. In addition to this hen pecking they are eating the feathers that fall off of them. Is this normal behavior? I pride myself on feeding my chicken really well and I never skimp on treats from my garden for them. I have purchased several chicken aprons to cover their backs but this still does not seem to do the trick. We have even doubled our outdoor coop in size so there isn't a shortage of space. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Jenny

 

[Abriana]

Feathers are almost all protein. Cat food can help boost protein and help stop the pecking. Also any boredom busters you can find online can help.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

I pride myself on feeding my chicken really well and I never skimp on treats from my garden for them.

All those garden treats may be diluting the nutrients in their main chicken ration.
What kind of chicken ration are you providing?
Look at the tag to find protein percentage.

How old are your birds?
How big is the doubled coop in feet by feet?

 

[azygous]

I would be suspicious, as is aart that your lavishing garden treats on your flock is diluting the amount of protein they should be getting. As much as chickens adore fresh produce, it shouldn't be a large part of their diet.

I caution against using cat food as a protein source to treat feather picking. I had a serial feather picker that I treated with canned tuna, and the heavy protein caused avian gout over the long haul. It crippled her eventually to the point I needed to euthanize her.

Far better would be to feed a 20% all flock feed with oyster shell on the side.

You might also examine your run for adequate space and ways to prevent boredom. I recommend a flock block. It gives chickens something to peck at other than each other.

 

[aart]

I recommend a flock block.

What are the nutrient levels in those blocks?
Will they eat enough of them to put them off their regular feed?

 

[azygous]

Flock blocks are similar to scratch grain in nutrition. About 9% protein and 3% calcium, not much else. Yes, if I don't cover the blocks and ration their access, some of the chickens will spend all their time on it to the detriment of their fermented feed. Some get addicted.

It should be rationed as you do scratch grains.

 

[runnermom]

I'm in the same boat. I have tried EVERYTHING!! It's so frustrating!

 

[azygous]

I understand your frustration. Feather picking is annoying and frustrating and it's that way because it can have many causes, and nothing works for very long. Years ago, I had a serial feather picker, an EE hen called Flo. I tried everything, and one day I stumbled onto a nutritional supplement called Forco, and I thought I had discovered a miracle. It seemed to be working. I was so entusiastic, I started a thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...cure-for-feather-picking.697052/#post-9455600

The thread grew into lots and lots of pages, and lots of people chimed in with their experiences and cures, and by the time the thread had run its course, we were all back to our original frustrations. Feather picking has no magic cure. There is no one special secret to stopping the behavior. I wish.

You might skim through the thread. At least it has in one place just about every device and supplement you can try. Something might work, if only for a little while.

Now I have a new serial feather picker, Flo having died several years back, and I'm doing with her the only thing that's ever really worked for feather picking - pinless peepers.

This new picker is also an EE hen by the name of Louise. I installed the peepers on Louise a couple months ago when she was following other chickens around and snatching feathers from them. I removed the peepers about two weeks ago because Louise can't seem to work the nipple waterers wearing them. But she lasted all of three or four days and she was stalking the other chickens again.

So I put the peepers back on her and she hasn't picked any feathers. But I need to have an open container of water for her so she doesn't die of thirst.

Some flocks never seem to have this problem while other seem to be cursed. I suspect breed has something to do with it. I also suspect it's seasonal and hormonal, picking up in spring and summer and dying back over winter.

I keep a good supply of pinless peepers on hand and am ready for it to start up in spring. And it doesn't disappoint me. It does.