One seven week old chick feather picking the rest of the flock

[Spoiledchooks]

Yeah I wasn't sure about using the pinless peepers on chicks, and she's also a bantam so she's extra small. She's been in a dog cage within the free ranging flock but I am moving her back to the brooder today because she's been able to reach through the crate bars and get quite a few birds who like to forage around her. Perhaps total isolation will do her better than still having partial access to her flockmates' tasty feathers...

How did things turn out with that chick?

 

[angc11]

How did things turn out with that chick?

Oops sorry I promised to update this thread and then never did!

Unfortunately, we made the difficult decision to dispatch her a few weeks after I made this post. I separated her for a week while I looked for a new home for her, but I did not get any interest. The separation time was not good, she was extremely stressed and anxious. I tried reintroducing her to the flock after the separation and her feather picking was even worse than before. She seemed to have a singular obsession with it. She had no interest in normal chicken behaviors like the rest of the flock, just simply seemed determined to stalk her flockmates and pull feathers out of their butts. Looking back and comparing her to my other chickens, it seemed to me like she had neurological issue. It was tough to make that call to end her life, but ultimately I think it was the correct decision for my flock because there has been peace ever since.

If I could do it over again, I personally would skip the week of separation for an anxious chicken with deviant behaviors like that. It only made her worse while stressing her and me out for a full week. If I ever had an issue like this again, I would just try to re-home her for a day or two and then cull her immediately if I had no takers.

 

[Spoiledchooks]

Oops sorry I promised to update this thread and then never did!

Unfortunately, we made the difficult decision to dispatch her a few weeks after I made this post. I separated her for a week while I looked for a new home for her, but I did not get any interest. The separation time was not good, she was extremely stressed and anxious. I tried reintroducing her to the flock after the separation and her feather picking was even worse than before. She seemed to have a singular obsession with it. She had no interest in normal chicken behaviors like the rest of the flock, just simply seemed determined to stalk her flockmates and pull feathers out of their butts. Looking back and comparing her to my other chickens, it seemed to me like she had neurological issue. It was tough to make that call to end her life, but ultimately I think it was the correct decision for my flock because there has been peace ever since.

If I could do it over again, I personally would skip the week of separation for an anxious chicken with deviant behaviors like that. It only made her worse while stressing her and me out for a full week. If I ever had an issue like this again, I would just try to re-home her for a day or two and then cull her immediately if I had no takers.

Awww sorry to hear that
She may have had something wrong internally…
Whenever there’s weird behaviour first thing I do is deworm just in case.
Glad your flock is calm now

 

[Mrs. K]

You deworm chicks? I would not recommend that. Chicks should not have a worm load unless the conditions are terrible.

 

[Spoiledchooks]

You deworm chicks? I would not recommend that. Chicks should not have a worm load unless the conditions are terrible.

I don’t know what situation the chick came from or the state of it’s parent stock… just seemed to me that something must have been off with its system for it to be feather picking like that.
I always use holistic organic ways… so it doesn’t harm chicks or adults… pumpkin seed meal, black seed meal, DE and oregano are always my go to

 

[Mrs. K]

Everyone does things differently.

 

[Spoiledchooks]

Everyone does things differently.

Definitely!! I’ve been blessed enough to never have had to cull.. have always been able to figure something out with herbs
I’d have to call someone in to do it if it came down to it. I’m too attached to my birds would be like killing my dog
No guts for it

 

[angc11]

In the brooder I always fed the chicks crushed garlic, herbs and weeds of all kinds (oregano, parsley, rosemary, dandelion greens, chickweed, etc), ACV in their water once a week, scrambled eggs, etc. I got hatching eggs from organic and pasture raised heritage stock. My chickens all were and still are in very good health, including my problem chick. I think she stopped eating at some point to focus on feather picking. I had 44 chicks so I honestly didn't really notice her or anything about her until she started feather picking on the reg. I'm apt to say it wasn't physical health related, but I can't be 100% sure about it.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have only had to cull once, never use herbs, don't really believe in them. I have culled birds for the table or because of too many roosters. I keep a flock, birds come in and out of my flock. But to each his or her own way of doing things.

However, I would not worm chicks. Chicks really have a very low chance of picking up a worm load.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

I think the OP made the right choice. Some birds just do not fit in a flock. It does not matter if they have been raised together or not. Always solve for peace in the flock.