OCD chick?

[myohmiya]

I've got a little speckled sussex chick (about 4 days old) who is acting quite obsessive. I rarely see her sleep, she eats and drinks sparingly, but pecks obsessively at feathers that stick out. She has a black one on her wing that she is absolutely obsessed with, and I had to separate her from my timid RIR because she obsessively picked at her lighter feathers coming in, same with the australorps white wing feather. I do have a red light in the brooder, all of the others are perfectly content. She has a lot of room, I'm wondering if the stress of seperation is causing this (I had her alone for a while but her peeping because ear piercing so I put a strong willed buddy in there. Checked for mites and lice and pasty butt, nothing, very active, she seems perfectly fine besides her picking obsession, Should I figure out a way to make it darker in the brooder? I think I'm going to dye their feathers and see if that helps but any experience in this would be appreciated! I don't want the little nut job to peck herself raw.

 

[gimmie birdies]

just don't dye them red.

 

[myohmiya]

I did have the sense to do blue, luckily! In case anyone else has this problem in the future, I think it is partially due to stress, I put him back with the others and he's not doing it as much, was up picking at his black feather til about 1 am and then totally passed out and it's a bit less now. The blue didn't take to the RIR feather's too well, but I think the vinegar in the dye mixture is making those feathers not as interesting . If I had some safe essential oils I think that might be helpful.