How do you stop feather eating/ pecking?

[azygous]

Those game cams are inexpensive and simple to use. They download right into your computer to view or you can get one that wi-fi's directly to your computer.

You are facing a very complex problem, much more so than your fox predators. Having been through this with several hens over the last six years, I can tell you that if you can identify the culprit(s) and then interrupt the behavior for several months, you may be able to stop it.

There are several ways to interrupt the behavior. Peepers is one. Separating the victim from the culprit is another. You can also install a saddle/apron on the victim which discourages further picking and allows the feathers to grow back.

It also sounds like confinement in a too small run could be part of the problem. Think about enlarging the space the chickens are inhabiting during the day, and maybe install an automatic coop door so the chickens can get out into the run earlier, if you have a problem letting them out before sun-up.

Install more perches in your run so there are more escapes. Look for a scratch block at your feed store. This is one of the best things you can give to a flock with a feather picking problem. It keeps them busy for hours, and it gives them something to do beside picking feathers.

 

[critterkeeper25]

Thanks! The game camera is an awesome idea! We already have one, I have been using it at my Mom's house to see if she has had someone prowling around after dark. (She lives alone since my Dad passed) I don't know how esle to catch the culprit in action without sitting outside with them for an entire day or more! We have 14 hens now. We had 18 before we lost one to a neighbor whoo took it in but denies it, and another 3 to the fox. It could be any one if the other 13.

I'm going to suggest the scratch block to my husband. I agree with additional space suggestion. We ended up with more chickens than we had initially planned to get due to the chick breeder shipping us extras because they couldn't guarantee that they would all be pullets. Long story. So, our coop and closed in pen aren't quite big enough for the amount of hens we have. We have been talking about building an addition in the spring. The coop has an automatic door. We put it in as soon as the pullets were big enough to be put in the coop. So, they aren't "cooped" up in the coop waiting to be let out. I think that they get frustrated waiting to be let out of the pen. The old routine was that we let them out first thing in the morning. They had all day to run around the yard. Then the darn fox came into the picture and ruined everything. I guess it was going to happen eventually. But now you can tell that they are angry when they see you come out of the house and get into the car without letting them out. They get extremely vocal. But I refuse to let them out without supervision now. Hence, the feather picking..I am afraid. Hopefully the block will help.

 

[Shadow920]

We have had the same exact problem. It started last spring. We had 1 hen that was missing the ends of a bunch of feathers on her back near her tail. That issue eventually turned into the feathers missing altogether. We tried Vicks, peck-no-more, blue kote. Nothing really worked. We suspected that it was our dominant hen, but couldn't catch her in the act. I was about to order pinless peepers for her, but while we were away for the weekend, the suspected pecker and another of our hens vanished. (MDH insisted on our friend letting the hens out for the day while we were away) After that hen went missing the picked on hen began growing her feathers back. It was an AHAAA moment. "So, it WAS the dominant hen!" "Well, that problem is solved." NOT...now another of our hens is missing the tips of her feathers on her back near her tail. And this evening I saw a bare patch on her back where they are actually being pecked out. I haven't seen anyone display aggresive behavior to another hen since the suspected bully went missing. So...now what? Back to square one. It must be happening while they are in the coop/pen before they are being let out.
I believe it has something to do with boredom this time. We found out that we had a fox problem. Two weeks after we came back from our weekend away and found our two hens missing, I was returning home when I saw one of our hens being killed in the front yard by a very large and healthy fox. My son shot it, but didn't kill it as we saw it run away. We have been very cautious about letting the hens out unsupervised, so they aren't getting out for as much time as they were used to. I am the one that is worried about them getting picked off by another fox when there isn't someone home to defend them. (I did locate TWO dens in the hedgerow on the farside of our property!) I think that the best buddy of our now missing bully, has learned the picking behavior and is trying it out on her buddy. Unless it could be the hen that was being pecked before trying it out on this other hen. I never did catch the behavior the first time. I was going to try the peepers on that hen and was hoping that the feather picking would stop so that I didn't have to try them on each and every hen until the picking stopped. I'm wondering how much a camera system would cost to try to catch someone doing the picking?

i had a hen who almost had her brains pecked out when she was younger, literally. she's still got scar. now she's the prettiest and softest red Sexlink i have ever seen. i cannot put a pic of her up because you can only see her beauty in person. i still have two bully hens they run with my extra Roosters presently. as for foxes. i haven't had trouble with wild predators since i started blocking the window at night, and during the day my chickens have a chain link run. that'll take care of boredom and keep your hens safe.

 

[coopmama]

While the peepers may have stopped Bertha from pecking out Percy's tail feathers (which I can't be entirely sure of due to the fact that they were separated most of the time), they did not stop her at all from bullying my other hens. She chased them & pinned them down any chance she got. She wasn't even deterred by the fact that I was standing within a foot or two most times. Percy chose to sleep in the coop with the other chickens. Both gates were left open near dusk, and she chose the other chickens every time- even though she chose to run around with Bertha while they were all free ranging.

So today Bertha got her peepers off and met her new coop mate. Goliath the rooster. At first I thought we may have a problem because she kept trying to bully him out of the food, but it seems he may have put her in her place. Neither of them were aggressive toward the other & there has not been any pecking. They both went into the enclosed end of the coop. I don't know if they're sleeping or what, but they are being very quiet. We've checked on them, and they're both roosting in there. I hope this goes well, and that we've found our solution!

 

[Shadow722]

Tried to delete couldn't figure it out.

 

[Shadow722]

We have had the same exact problem. It started last spring. We had 1 hen that was missing the ends of a bunch of feathers on her back near her tail. That issue eventually turned into the feathers missing altogether. We tried Vicks, peck-no-more, blue kote. Nothing really worked. We suspected that it was our dominant hen, but couldn't catch her in the act. I was about to order pinless peepers for her, but while we were away for the weekend, the suspected pecker and another of our hens vanished. (MDH insisted on our friend letting the hens out for the day while we were away) After that hen went missing the picked on hen began growing her feathers back. It was an AHAAA moment. "So, it WAS the dominant hen!" "Well, that problem is solved." NOT...now another of our hens is missing the tips of her feathers on her back near her tail. And this evening I saw a bare patch on her back where they are actually being pecked out. I haven't seen anyone display aggresive behavior to another hen since the suspected bully went missing. So...now what? Back to square one. It must be happening while they are in the coop/pen before they are being let out.
I believe it has something to do with boredom this time. We found out that we had a fox problem. Two weeks after we came back from our weekend away and found our two hens missing, I was returning home when I saw one of our hens being killed in the front yard by a very large and healthy fox. My son shot it, but didn't kill it as we saw it run away. We have been very cautious about letting the hens out unsupervised, so they aren't getting out for as much time as they were used to. I am the one that is worried about them getting picked off by another fox when there isn't someone home to defend them. (I did locate TWO dens in the hedgerow on the farside of our property!) I think that the best buddy of our now missing bully, has learned the picking behavior and is trying it out on her buddy. Unless it could be the hen that was being pecked before trying it out on this other hen. I never did catch the behavior the first time. I was going to try the peepers on that hen and was hoping that the feather picking would stop so that I didn't have to try them on each and every hen until the picking stopped. I'm wondering how much a camera system would cost to try to catch someone doing the picking?

If you have a rooster it can ride the feathers off its favorite hen. I don't have anymore feather pickers but my rooster has 2 favorite hens. They will squat and slightly raise the wings in submission for him or for me. None of the other hens do that.

 

[Shadow920]

If you have a rooster it can ride the feathers off its favorite hen. I don't have anymore feather pickers but my rooster has 2 favorite hens. They will squat and slightly raise the wings in submission for him or for me. None of the other hens do that.

one of my sebrights has this little tuft of feathers that is the only thing that makes her non breed standard. but my banty rooster loves those feathers. and that is what he grabs.

 

[Shadow920]

one of my sebrights has this little tuft of feathers that is the only thing that makes her non breed standard. but my banty rooster loves those feathers. and that is what he grabs.

Shadow722, you have a chicken named Shadow as well? my Shadow is the pretty roo in my profile. standing beside his hen Midnight. she died a couple of years ago. that was my only pic of her.

 

[Shadow722]

Shadow722, you have a chicken named Shadow as well? my Shadow is the pretty roo in my profile. standing beside his hen Midnight. she died a couple of years ago. that was my only pic of her.

No. I was in a Navy Squadron called the Shadows and I happen to ride a Honda Shadow. So I used Shadow for a user name

 

[coopmama]

Well I watched Bertha pluck a feather out of Goliath's butt today & gobble it up. He didn't even flinch when she did it. His butt still looks pretty fluffy, so I'm hoping it was just jealousy since the other hens were all out & he was trying to get out with them. I feel like I'm being desperately optimistic here though. I don't know what is more cruel though- letting her live out her years alone, or just butchering her and being done with it. She obviously can't stop pecking. And bullying. Bertha and Goliath will be allowed out to free range with the others this weekend. If she can't play nice, then I think I've pretty much exhausted all other options. I don't want her to spend the winter alone, but she doesn't seem to mind being alone. I just don't know what else to do with her.