Jealous hens?

[TinyRaptorDodos]

My hens have a real bad habit of plucking my roosters tail feathers. It’s happened with every rooster I’ve had besides my silkie… I also have a hen who will peck at some of my hens (not injuring them) when the rooster is paying attention to them. Could they just have real bad jealously issues? Trying to make the rooster less showy offy by plucking feathers?
My flock is odd and I have a few rooster haters so it could just be my hens being annoyed, but it’s odd that it’s every single rooster.
These are before (the day I got him) and after photos. He’s missing the longer feathers now too though

 

[Theorrin]

I had a hen that would do this but she also got tired of him being annoying and decide she was in charge lol

 

[Yardmom]

Are you seeing the hens pluck them? Is it. Possibly the same hen each time?

 

[Chicken poppy]

It looks as though they are attracted to the sheen. Is it possibly only one doing this? Feather pulling can be a hard habit to break but a quick search says it can be due to being deficient in protein, sodium and/or other dietary essentials.

It seems more like they are attracted to the beetle sheen though. Maybe you could put a natural coloring to conceal it, a flavor they dislike on the feathers, or separate them from the flock for a while.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Are you seeing the hens pluck them? Is it. Possibly the same hen each time?

It could be the same hen, but quite a few of my hens are groomy. They only pluck other hens feathers over winter when they’re bored, but always the roosters tail year round… they have yet to start on my cockerels tail thankfully they might leave him be

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

It looks as though they are attracted to the sheen. Is it possibly only one doing this? Feather pulling can be a hard habit to break but a quick search says it can be due to being deficient in protein, sodium and/or other dietary essentials.

It seems more like they are attracted to the beetle sheen though. Maybe you could put a natural coloring to conceal it, a flavor they dislike on the feathers, or separate them from the flock for a while.

They have a lot of nutrients, super orange yolks, healthy shells, healthy chickens all together- they free range and find everything they need. I didn’t think about the sheen, I have a few iridescent hens and now that I think about it they also got their back and tail feathers plucked by other hens over winter while others were left alone.

I’ve heard they dislike mustard? The chickens seem unharmed by it, no skin irritation luckily

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I had a hen that would do this but she also got tired of him being annoying and decide she was in charge lol

Sounds like Cinnamon- but she also avoids the rooster at all costs lately. Poor arthritic lady hates him

 

[Chicken poppy]

They have a lot of nutrients, super orange yolks, healthy shells, healthy chickens all together- they free range and find everything they need. I didn’t think about the sheen, I have a few iridescent hens and now that I think about it they also got their back and tail feathers plucked by other hens over winter while others were left alone.

I’ve heard they dislike mustard? The chickens seem unharmed by it, no skin irritation luckily

Yes i’ve heard the same. Maybe give that a go. Might make the feathers a bit crusty but it could be worth a shot.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I just realized, the “jealous” pecking others when they’re getting attention from the rooster could totally be because her entire old flock was wiped out leaving only her and she is absolutely in love with him seeing as he has chased off multiple predators before- she used to hate him until he started all that stuff