Is this rooster tracks? or hen pecking? PHOTO

[BoiseBubba]

over agressive rooster

 

[josebeth1]

Again, asking for different ideas because our look just like this and we don't have a rooster!!!!
Thanks!

 

[Californichicken]

hi JoseBeth,
Let me preface by saying I only know what I know from researching before I posted this thread.... If you are certain you don't have a rooster (is one hiding in your flock?) I know that I've read that picking around the vent is cannibalistic behavior. Is it possible that minimal pecking caused an injury, or a hen saw blood and they've been going after her ever since?

My hen definitely had an aggressive rooster after her but the other hens quickly moved in. I made her a hen saddle and after a day or mild protest, she seems very comfortable in her new duds. They protect her from the rooster causing more injury and from the other hens exacerbating it.
Good Luck.

 

[geebs]

Definetly a rooster favorite.. UMMM how many rooster/hen ratio you got going??? Hen saddles... Good plan...or pull her into another pen... that could however cause him to use a different hen... (more hens) possibly

 

[geebs]

Yikes.. no rooster.. (dumb Geebs didn't read the whole post)... wow you couldn't have a more obvious rooster launch pad... Look for parasites and cats. If a cat is using your chickens as a plaything... it could have left this kind of markings.. and once started the other hens will get after it... still chicken saddle and watch for cats.

 

[Californichicken]

I'm not sure if the rooster question was directed at me. I've got 4 hens and a rooster. We didn't mean to get a rooster but he's very nice to people and I might want to let a broody hatch eggs. I dont' need to keep him though and once my hen heals, and the apron comes off, if he hasn't learned to be a gentleman, that's it. He is fertilizing all our eggs and the 4 hens (really only 6 months old) are all laying.
Is this ratio just not going to work? Will he just be riding them all the time?

 

[buffy O's]

hi, buffy here......I also have a hen that looked alot like that.....I made a hen saddle and she has been wearing that for about a month now. The roos still go to her [altho they were terrified of her to start with! serves them right:Anyways now we have noticed like 4-5 other hens beginning to look the same way. We have 21 hens and 2 roos so I thought that was a pretty good ratio. Am I wronge?
Then when was saw the other girls looking this way, altho not bare, more like the feathers are being broke down to the skin, so we began to wonder if they were starting to molt. This is our first yr. with chickens and we are kinda dumb:

about alot of things pertaining to chickens!
Also how long would the hen have to wear the saddle? How long does it usually take for them to grow back?

 

[jenjscott]

OK, JOSEBETH, your concern is a progression to cannibalism if your hens are doing this to each other. Make sure your hens have plenty of space and increase their protein to see if it helps anything. Also if confined to a pen, throw stuff in to keep them busy scratching, hang broccoli or heads of cabbage in the run. Try it.

BUFFY 2 roosters to 21 hens is a good ratio. Unfortunately, they can overwork their favorites. If the feathers are pulled out altogether they will regrow in about 6 weeks. If they are broken off and part of the shaft is left under the skin, they won't regrow until the next molt. Spring pullets will not molt in their first fall or winter.

CALIFORNIA and Buffy They usually settle down as they get older. Some people have a rooster pen and let him visit the girls a couple of times a week. It is enough to keep the eggs fertile and keeps the hens' backs from getting overworked.

 

[CTChickenMom]

My sister is having the same issue with her girls. She lost her lead hen and it really messed with the pecking order. Many are missing various feathers.

Also, right now with my hens and my sisters hens, they are going through a small molt. I'm guessing that you have a combination of things going on. The first being an upset in the pecking order. As a result of that, you have pecking going on to reestablish the order. It looks as though she is being picked on which is making the molting process worse. (EEs are often on the bottom of the pecking order so she is likely getting the worst of it.) One of my sister hens has feathers missing below her vent. One has feathers missing on top of her head. In some of them, its hard to tell whats molting and what's picking. To add fuel to the fire, if you have a very attentive roo, he's making matters worse too.

I know in the cold damp weather when the girls don't like to be outside, they may get bored inside and start picking, especially if there are a lot of them in a smallish coop.