Other hens pecking my hen around the vent

[Liz Birdlover]

Nice coop/run!
Looks like they have enough space, but you may want to try another roosting bar? Just a thought there.

Picking can be a bad behavior to break. I've not used it, but Pine Tar is reported to help deter picking, you may want to try that. Apply to her wounds too, it should have healing properties.

Hey Wyort, what type of pine tar? Like the one for horse hooves?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hey Wyort, what type of pine tar? Like the one for horse hooves?

Yes.

 

[mcycle12]

Well.....the chicken pecking issue has not gotten better. It's gotten worse. All four of the birds now have bare butts. The pine tar seemed like a good temporary fix. Long term is another issue. It gets everywhere and doesn't come off. It seems to run off the chicken because of their body heat and go everywhere in the coop and run. Plus, it gets all over the eggs and boxes. I tried Peck No More from TSC and it doesn't work. I think it's a behavior issue at this point. I don't know where to go from here.

I uploaded a video. Pecking was caught on camera around the 4:40 mark.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think it's a behavior issue at this point. I don't know where to go from here.

Have you tried pinless peepers?

And I'd really suggest finding ways to add more clutter in the run and maybe more leaves/grass/etc to dig through as well. I feel that boredom is a big contributor to behavioral issues.

 

[aart]

The pine tar seemed like a good temporary fix. Long term is another issue. It gets everywhere and doesn't come off. It seems to run off the chicken because of their body heat and go everywhere in the coop and run. Plus, it gets all over the eggs and boxes.

Good to know.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Something isn't right, need to figure out WHY this happens. Are you sure there are no mites? They're very tiny, almost impossible to see, often it just looks dirty at the base of a clumpy feather, easier to see on a Buff feather color. The few times a couple of my chickens looked like they had something going on by vent, there were tiny mites. I couldn't tell by looking at the bird on my lap, I had to pull a little dirty feather out & hold it under a magnifying glass to see the miniscule things barely moving! I caught very early. If left alone they start chewing the poor chicken skin, making a scabby mess, and all you see is dry skin or scabby, flakey skin, the darn mites hide under the scabs, so they're extremely difficult to see. I'm far sighted so I need a bright light & magnifying glass to even see the little hideous parasites.

Whatever it is, you need to find out why.

Ok I just had time to watch your video, they look happy & healthy, laying eggs daily is good.

I have 1 feather plucker in my flock of 38. To this day, she still plucks her Roo's tail feathers, but he is so sweet he let's her! Why she does this is a mystery to me. Some suggest it is their way of getting more protein, but I don't know, I supply a higher protein feed during molt & do offer a hand full of mealworms (1 handful per 4 hens) a few times a week year round. My hen was plucked totally bald as a youngster, traumatized, so when I got her, every other chicken was chasing her, she was literally bald. I went there for 3 hens, ended up rescuing a dozen plus the baby Roo, just to get them out of that nasty place. All Ameracaunas or EEs. When I brought her home, I set her up in her own cage to calm down & let feathers grow. Once she had feathers, I introduced her to a few hens at a time while free ranging, and they did accept her, but she was mean to them, ripping out feathers at 1st, I guess it was payback LOL. She did finally become calm & not as grumpy, but she still pecks out Baby Roo's tail, he is an adult now, but younger than her.

The preen or uropygial gland is not at the vent btw, it is up on top of the back, before where tail feathers begin, if you get a hen to sit on your lap and look you can see, it almost resembles a human wart or oily pimple Lol.

I don't know what to tell ya...if it isn't mites, not sure, I've never encountered bald butt syndrome here.

They do like dust baths and have a fav spot, I call it the dust bowl, because it becomes like a big bowl. I add some mixture & they love it...in a 5 gal bucket mix dry soil, some playsand & DE to the bowl. This has helped prevent mites.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
(My chickens dust bathing in their dustbowl.)

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I'm signed up for an online class on poultry, I'm in the class right now & this came up...bare bottoms on hens! Mites were mentioned but here's another possibility. Nest boxes where they lay...they need more than 1, you only have a few hens so maybe 2 are fine, but they need to be dark & offer some privacy. When a hen lays an egg the inside of her cloaca actually comes out to deposit/lay the egg clean with only the bloom coating it. Then after egg is laid, her insides quickly retracts back (normally, unless there is a prolapse). Anyway, the few seconds that hen is laying, if other birds are right there and able to, they'll peck at the laying hen's vent, because the vent insides are reddish as compared to surrounding tone/color of skin. The man giving this presentation said when he saw bare bottomed hens on farms, it was often due to nest egg box locations being too open & bright or sunny or too many hens expected to share 1 egg nest box. So once he recommended they darken the eggbox area & make them more private to accommodate 1 hen each (mine are 15"x15x15" with 3 sides & a roof) & have at least 1 box for every 2 to 3 hens (often they lay at the same time) the behavior stopped and they grew their vent feathers back.

Maybe this info can help?

 

[mcycle12]

I'm signed up for an online class on poultry, I'm in the class right now & this came up...bare bottoms on hens! Mites were mentioned but here's another possibility. Nest boxes where they lay...they need more than 1, you only have a few hens so maybe 2 are fine, but they need to be dark & offer some privacy. When a hen lays an egg the inside of her cloaca actually comes out to deposit/lay the egg clean with only the bloom coating it. Then after egg is laid, her insides quickly retracts back (normally, unless there is a prolapse). Anyway, the few seconds that hen is laying, if other birds are right there and able to, they'll peck at the laying hen's vent, because the vent insides are reddish as compared to surrounding tone/color of skin. The man giving this presentation said when he saw bare bottomed hens on farms, it was often due to nest egg box locations being too open & bright or sunny or too many hens expected to share 1 egg nest box. So once he recommended they darken the eggbox area & make them more private to accommodate 1 hen each (mine are 15"x15x15" with 3 sides & a roof) & have at least 1 box for every 2 to 3 hens (often they lay at the same time) the behavior stopped and they grew their vent feathers back.

Maybe this info can help?

Thanks for the info!

I have 3 nesting boxes for the 4 hens. They have one box that seems to be the favorite, where I usually find at least three eggs. But the laying location can vary some days. I have watched a certain bird go up into the nesting boxes, then have gone and retrieved the egg right after they come down. I did that just to be able to identify which one lays what egg. Laying takes place between 7am and 9am. I usually feed them a morning snack around 7am. They are scratching about for the food, so when I see one disappear I know exactly what is up. All this to say that there is usually not more than one up in the nest boxes at a time as far as I can tell.

The buff orpington will sometimes go up later in the day and lay on one of the fake eggs, but for the most part they don't go inside the coop during the day unless I'm cleaning the poop board.

I have been trying to put more mulch from the mulch pile into the coop for their entertainment. That does seem to help keep them occupied. I had been slacking off doing that because there was a layer of it in the run that was freezing and keeping them from digging into the dirt easily for dusting. I scraped several wheelbarrows full out of there today and will keep up with the new mulch daily.

Thanks again!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Thanks for the info!

I have 3 nesting boxes for the 4 hens. They have one box that seems to be the favorite, where I usually find at least three eggs. But the laying location can vary some days. I have watched a certain bird go up into the nesting boxes, then have gone and retrieved the egg right after they come down. I did that just to be able to identify which one lays what egg. Laying takes place between 7am and 9am. I usually feed them a morning snack around 7am. They are scratching about for the food, so when I see one disappear I know exactly what is up. All this to say that there is usually not more than one up in the nest boxes at a time as far as I can tell.

The buff orpington will sometimes go up later in the day and lay on one of the fake eggs, but for the most part they don't go inside the coop during the day unless I'm cleaning the poop board.

I have been trying to put more mulch from the mulch pile into the coop for their entertainment. That does seem to help keep them occupied. I had been slacking off doing that because there was a layer of it in the run that was freezing and keeping them from digging into the dirt easily for dusting. I scraped several wheelbarrows full out of there today and will keep up with the new mulch daily.

Thanks again!

Ok, you've got plenty of nest boxes!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Today it is in the 30s here & 20s at night. I saw my normally spunky Roo was acting wimpy. I got him on my lap and looked carefully at the base of his feathers, and found mites. Right now mites can be bad. My chickens won't go out & dustbathe as much when it's this cold. I have to treat my whole flock. Check your hens very close & look all over. Sometimes the feathers will look fine, but then look under feathers on the skin & if you see a tiny miniscule speck that moves, it's a darn mite. Vent area, around tail, on back of neck or under wings can be mite hang outs. Good luck with your girls.