One pecking (plucking) the other?

[THLG]

I just have a pair of hens (supposedly Ameraucana -- one modeled brown with rusty head; one all white. Otherwise they look the same).

All of the sudden the brown one is missing all her saddle feathers. (no blood, or open wound)

I haven't seen any pecking, but I assume it's the other (white) hen that is responsible.

Can I do anything to make the first one taste bad, or otherwise unpleasant to peck?
Or, is that a silly question?

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

Are you 100% sure you have 2 hens? The feather loss you describe, sounds like rooster damage.

 

[KameyRae]

I've had my chickens gang up on another chicken to where they had pecked her feathers off & actually made her bleed some! We separated the hurt one until she was fully healed & then slowly put her back in with the others chickens & it never happened again! Although I was told you can use vinegar or an oily antibiotic type thing called sanitone to rub on the chick that's erring picked on, it's smelly & tastes bad to the other chickens. Hopefully this helps!

 

[THLG]

Yea. I bought 5. 3 where roosters, and went to the farm. The 2 hens I kept, and they are identical other than coloring.

I don't seem to have "permission" to add an attachment? Otherwise I would attach a picture of Babs & Edwina. (definitely hens)

A side note: though still working on the full sized coop, they free range my fenced in suburban back yard from 9am till they go back to their box, inside their 4X8 run, on their own, around 8pm.

 

[THLG]

I've heard about separating one from the flock, but I just have the two. So, that would just mean separating each from the other?

I'll have to look up Sanitone, but I have vinegar! I'll try that first.

Thanks for your suggestion!

 

[KameyRae]

Yeah hopefully it'll work for you! If not I would try seperating the two!