just a little frustrated (feather picking)

[achiekitty]

I feel your frustration. I've been battling feather picking for thirteen years. The only real success, and it's only partial, I've had trying to stop feather picking is by putting pinless peepers on the culprits. I have five hens wearing peepers right now, but a couple of them seem to be able to continue picking in spite of them,

Many people, mostly those who've never had this in their flock, insist on telling you it's a protein deficiency and you need to feed more protein. I can testify with 100% certainty that most feather picking is a compulsive brain disorder. Nothing will cure the hens with this problem, except maybe by turning them into soup.

I have three hens and one feather picker. She’s the one in the middle and she only used to pick from Brownie, the hen that’s below her, and only Brownie’s beard. They are both EE, But only Brownie has the typical Ameraucana beard. But this year, she has also been picking from Grey, our alpha hen. Why, I don’t understand. She just sits there and let her pick-off her feathers. Today I noticed that Grey is missing feathers down to her neck now.

They free range pretty much all day but they like to sit and hang-out in different places in the yard together. I haven’t seen any feather picking lately, but Brownie’s been sick with a sour crop. I’ve been spending more time with her. Incidentally, she seems to be on the mend after over two weeks of isolation.

Is painless peepers the only semi-effective option? How about the feather picking spray?

I’m thinking of isolating Goldie, our feather picker for most part of the day as soon as Brownie can be integrated back.

I’m not ready to let her go. She’s my best layer, even at 7 years, and this is at least her third re-home.

The other two are 5 years old and I‘ve had them since they were a month old.

 

[azygous]

I've had good luck on some hens with the pinless peepers, but often the hen just figures out how to see around the peepers to continue pulling feathers. Yes, I've tried the sprays and grease and those didn't work at all, just made a big mess on the feathers.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have three hens and one feather picker. She’s the one in the middle and she only used to pick from Brownie, the hen that’s below her, and only Brownie’s beard. They are both EE, But only Brownie has the typical Ameraucana beard. But this year, she has also been picking from Grey, our alpha hen. Why, I don’t understand. She just sits there and let her pick-off her feathers. Today I noticed that Grey is missing feathers down to her neck now.

They free range pretty much all day but they like to sit and hang-out in different places in the yard together. I haven’t seen any feather picking lately, but Brownie’s been sick with a sour crop. I’ve been spending more time with her. Incidentally, she seems to be on the mend after over two weeks of isolation.

Is painless peepers the only semi-effective option? How about the feather picking spray?

I’m thinking of isolating Goldie, our feather picker for most part of the day as soon as Brownie can be integrated back.

I’m not ready to let her go. She’s my best layer, even at 7 years, and this is at least her third re-home.

The other two are 5 years old and I‘ve had them since they were a month old.

This is a slightly different issue - it's more overgrooming and less feather picking, which would generally be on back or around vents. Bearded birds tends to get stripped of their beards, maybe because they tend to get food stuck in there. The bird doing the picking might've become a bit neurotic about it, but as long as it doesn't move past the neck area it shouldn't really get worse either.

You could try the pinless peepers but not sure if she'll resume once they're removed.

 

[achiekitty]

I second that ... but I have noticed that chickens or chicks that are the most non conforming and most mentally unstable tend to get picked on the most. It’s like the others know who’s the weakest genetically.... just a theory though

Not in my flock of three. My feather picker is the middle girl.

 

[achiekitty]

This is a slightly different issue - it's more overgrooming and less feather picking, which would generally be on back or around vents. Bearded birds tends to get stripped of their beards, maybe because they tend to get food stuck in there. The bird doing the picking might've become a bit neurotic about it, but as long as it doesn't move past the neck area it shouldn't really get worse either.

You could try the pinless peepers but not sure if she'll resume once they're removed.

Thanks. I used to think that she was grooming her; and it has never gone beyond the the neck. I did not know that about bearded birds getting stripped of their beards.

I started getting concerned when our alpha hen started getting groomed also.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks. I used to think that she was grooming her; and it has never gone beyond the the neck. I did not know that about bearded birds getting stripped of their beards.

I started getting concerned when our alpha hen started getting groomed also.

Hens are also known to groom their roos on the neck (even non-bearded roos) so it might be some weird show of affection/deferral to her as the alpha.

Good to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't progress further, but as long as she sticks to the neck area might be easier to just live with it. Up to you, I know the missing beards bother some folks.