Need advice ASAP on my bare back pullet(s)!

[Beekissed]

Could it be that they are molting? Tis the season, you know. Depending on their age, they could either molt a little or a lot. Some of my breeds never did get bare spots, no matter what the age, but some breeds did molt down to bare skin any given year.

 

[teach1rusl]

Other than one who'd gone broody (so I think it was linked to stress/nutrition), I've never had a pullet go through a molt their first year, so I doubt it's molting.
Did you look down to skin level and at the base of the feather shafts - around the vent area, under the wings, and even around the neck - for lice or mites??? Lice are fairly easy to see. I think mites are harder, but you'll see 'dirty looking stuff' at the base of the feathers.
You might wait to isolate the bully until you put the blue kote on so you can see who's beak might be blue. And since it's the weekend, you can spend some time observing them.
You probably have a bully, but tight spaces seem to exasperate the problem - do your birds have ample space? Usually there's a main bully in bullying cases, so you wouldn't necessarily have to isolate the "followers." Isolating just one might set up a totally different dynamic in your flock.
Unless there's an open wound on any of the feather plucked birds, you shouldn't need to isolate them as long as you coated the area well. If it comes down to it, chicken saddles may help. And if you get desperate, look into pinless peepers (kind of like horse blinders for birds).

 

[diggergal]

Here is an update to my bareback pullet problem. It was not lice/mites. We ended up culling one speckled sussex (very difficult decision) due to the fact she was a known bully and I personally saw her pecking and eating eggs. My ds who did the deed carefully inspected her for any signs of infestation and saw none. We had previously inspected the other pullets and hadn't seen any lice/mites.

My problem is definately a pecking order/bully issue. It seems to be mainly happening during roosting time. After culling the one pullet the feather pulling slowed down but did not stop. They are picking on two Welsummers and one Black Australorp. They pull the feathers at the base of their back, in front of their tail. They are not pecked until bloody, just pulling out feathers.

The only facility for isolation is one 2 x 3' dog crate. I know more than one pullet is participating in the feather pulling. I am still getting 10 to 14 eggs a day from my sixteen 25 week old pullets.

Has anyone tried the "hot pick" product from McMurray Hatchery? Any other ideas?

My pullets have an 8' x 8' coop w/two 8' roosts. Their run is 8' x 34' x 10' high with outdoor roost, ladder, large rocks and sand base. They get out most evenings for one - two hours to free range.

 

[teach1rusl]

If you KNOW who the bullies are, then you might try the pinless peepers.
Also, you might try adding one more roost inside the housing, doesn't have to be an 8 footer, but enough space for the picked on birds, since you think it's mostly happening overnight. At 16 ft. of roost space and 16 birds, you're about at max capacity...but with pickers involved, more space is better.
Another possibility is protein issues. If these birds are normally aggressive, it makes me wonder if their protein needs boosted. Feather eating (are they eating them or just pulling them out?) is one sign of a bird not getting enough protein. You could try a higher protein feed (most layer is 16%)...maybe game bird feed or even Flock Raiser I think has 18%???

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

I am reviving this thread for the very reason it was first posted. I have one bully wearing Pinless Peepers and a few girls have feathers growing back. BUT I have another brat the peepers dont fit. I continue to see the feathers in the same area as described (all around the tail area) missing. So I think I still have a bully. In addition I see random feathers sticking up every which way only on the roos favorite girls and the feathers looking ragged too (like tail feathers almost look like they have been rubbed between fingers and messed up) SO I think the roo is too amorous too. I just cant find a bug on these girls anywhere despite me looking every day for an answer to the issue. I guess Ill have to put aprons on about 5 of them-they are all the favorites and they are the ones the other few pick on. Funny the roo doesnt like the white birds....oh PLUS they are all eating chick starter cause I have 4 month olds in the pen. They also get scraps of this and that and BOSS. So what else can I put out there that the babies can eat that might boost the feather re-growth for the victims? They get oyster shell. They are all fantastic layers, 8 months old......Ok lots of rambling so here is a review:
randy rooster
pecking hen that peepers dont fit
no evidence of bugs
might need diet supplement but chicks are in the pen
too young to molt

Do I get aprons or what?

 

[diggergal]

Quote:
I originally posted this thread. So I will update you on my situation. My pullets still have no evidence of bugs. There is still bullying and I have 3 to 4 pullets with some areas of bare backs. I have increased their protein intake by BOSS and supplementing their layer feed with a higher protein poultry feed. For a while I thought the feather picking had slowed down but it has seemed to increased again. They seem to mainly just pull feathers and I do not have any open sores. Most of the bullying seems to be at roosting time. I have no rooster in the flock. It really upsets me to see my birds with missing feathers. I am still getting 10 to 14 eggs a day out of 16 pullets.

Just last Friday I ordered hot pick from McMurrary and one hen apron from Crazy K farms. I am going to try hot pick one a few of the picked on pullets and put an apron on one pullet. I will then observe what seems to be working best. If the apron works I will be ordering 2 or 3 more. Please keep me updated on your situation. Hopefully we can figure out the best way to help them heal and boost feather regrowth.

 

[CMV]

Hot pick may or may not work for you. It didn't work for me, but then again neither did pine tar, Vick's VapoRub, Blukote, saddles, or pinless peepers. Culling out the worst offenders was the only way to stop the picking and was what finally worked in my flock. Unfortunately, I would do a cull of 2 birds at a time knowing full well which birds were picking. I'd breathe a sigh of relief thinking that the problem was solved, and 2 more birds would start picking. Back to the drawing board... I finally removed the entire top tier of my chicken hierarchy to stop the problem. The one picker left is so low on the pecking order that she is getting beaten any time she attempts to pull feathers. I think that she may be broken of this little habit in short order by the remaining birds. It took a year and the loss of 11 birds to finally resolve the issue. My hen house is ridiculously huge and empty, but my few chickens left are finally starting to be beautiful again.

I hope you find a plan that works for you. You have my sympathies after the year I had dealing with the same problem. Good luck.

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

I made an apron for Olivia my most picked on girl WITH a prosthetic tail of sort to cover the few tail feathers she had left and indeed I see feather regrowth. BUT her remaining tail feathers and those of a few others continue to look almost chewed with chunks missing out of them on or something. Not at all smooth. Im starting to get all anxious about it because I feel like Im not being a good steward. I just cant figure it out. Here is my Olivias beat up hind end (which looks much worse since this photo was a month ago) and one of her apron-it is extra large and I made the area around the tail actually cupped so it would stay in place. I put a cute little bow on her tail area just cause I love her and took her to my sons school one day and thought she needed chicken bling. It is a pin though and comes off. I figure the others would mess with her even more.

 

[diggergal]

CMV: I too had culled the worse offender (who was also an egg eater). It was not an easy decision but had to be done. The bullying seemed to lighten up for a while but now it seems those on the top pecking order are getting worse. I am afraid if I cull again the pecking order will just move up. They have plenty of room and free range every evening. They are just feather pullers, mainly during roosting time! I am not expecting alot from hot pick (I had read mixed results on this forum) put thought I would give it a try.

Egg Rookie 2010: Love your homemade apron! I have ordered one standard size apron. I will put it on my pullet and see how it works. I would have ordered more but wasn't sure if I needed large or extra large and wanted to make sure they cover where needed. Great idea on the extra material for tail protector!

I really want to get these girls on the road to recovery before winter.