My hens are getting pecked to death!!

[K-12 Chickens]

My two Silver-Laced Wyandottes, one Americana, and one Isa Brown all have bare spots all around the tail stump. It is getting really bad. I've been trying to cover it up with diper cream, but it wears off in a couple of days. I've also tried chicken saddles but they don't seem to work that well either. What else could I try? Maybe seperating them?

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

Yeah, separate them and the one who looks like the culprit. We just gave away our Buff Orphington because she was eating the others. The lady who took her says he change stopped the problem and is doing fine in her new home.

Just put them in a large crate in the coop or some thing so that they aren't away from the flock. Chickens heal fast too so they should be good in a few weeks.

 

[Kassaundra]

If you can see who is the ringleader, if you will remove her for a week or two, then reintroduce her, she will have lost her seniority in the flock and may be better behaved. If you want to keep her I'd try that first.

 

[K-12 Chickens]

Actually, there is more than just ONE culprit. ALL of the hens are pecking including the pecked hens. It seems though that my Grey Leghorn Snowbell is the worst among all of the hens.

 

[Kittymomma]

How many birds do you have and how big is their coop/run. Removing the ringleader can help, but if they're all doing it I would suspect that you may have too many birds in too small of a space. This kind of thing often comes up in the winter months when birds are more confined.

 

[sharol]

Is there a trigger for the pecking? Do they have adequate room? If they are "cooped up" in too small an area, boredom can make them do anti-social things (or so I understand). Are they getting enough protein? How many chickens in all do you have?

 

[chickerdoodle]

Many things cause pecking when more than one is the culprit. The more common ones include boredom from too small a space, not enough protein and too much light (adding too much artificial lighting).

A product called Blu Kote helps cover the wound's red color which incites pecking.

What space do they have?
What is their diet (include treats!)?
How old are they?
How long do you have them?

Please give more info for us to give you a better solution to this serious problem!

 

[tammye]

putting pinless peerers on my trouble makers today, nothing else, besides separation has worked and it is hard to keep them ALL separated. I heard about the pinless peepers here, look them up on the net, you get 10 for 7 bucks

 

[K-12 Chickens]

I have 8 hens. Even when they free-range they still peck each other. How much square feet do you think 8 hens need?