My chicken is pecking itself! Help!

[bernaboo111]

Hi,

I have 7 Rhode island Red chickens and one of them is pecking itself! One reason we think that it is pecking is because we can't free range them so they are bored. Now that she is pecking herself the other 6 are pecking her also. She is eating and drinking just fine and she acts just like the others. I am really worried because I hade the same thing happen to my other chicken and she died about 2 months ago from it.

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Weird situation, first of all, you should try taking your Rhode island red away from the other chickens for a while so they can't peck at her. Also, try to put something up that is interesting to a chicken. Mirrors work great. Good Luck, I hope she makes it through.

 

[bernaboo111]

Anymore advice anyone?

 

[bernaboo111]

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Are they drawing blood? Eating feathers? The most commonly causes are over crowding or lack of protein. Do they have enough space? What is their diet?

If you are certain they have enough space and protein who can address boredom issues by growing fodder, making or buying a flock block, or using chicken treat balls or cabbage pinatas.

 

[aggiemae]

Giving then something to do is really good advice. Add some roosts a few longs or tires to your run. Get one of those blocks of seeds they can peck on. Leave a treat in the bedding, in summer we save stuff like seed and peels from melons and corn cobs, free and chickens love them.

If my chickens will be in the run for more than a few hours I make sure that there is something for them to scratch. I keep a bag of raw hull sun flowers seeds (high in protein and cheap) from the bulk bins in the freezer in case there isn't anything readily available from last nights supper.

As for the self injuring hen, personally I would bath her with flea shampoo for dogs followed by a soothing rinse product, like colodial oatmeal but at least get some blucoat (it's a dye you can buy at the feed store) on the injuries so the other hens will stop pecking the red spot.

 

[bernaboo111]

I tried Blu-Kote, but it didn't help. I am separating the picked hen for now.

Thanks for the help!