Pecking and feather puling

[denabry]

Hey y'all, I have a question! My hens are pecking each other near the tail feathers and some have pulled feathers out. They've done it to the point some have bald spots and others have bloody spots. I watched them and it's the hens pecking each other. Normally they all get along well! I attached a pic of one of my Delawares

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[BantamLover21]

I'm glad you joined our "flock!"

I'm sorry about the feather-picking problems.

I would recommend posting in either the Emergencies section (Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures), or the Behavior section of the forums (Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying). Members there should be able to offer suggestions/help on solving the pecking and feather pulling.

Good luck!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! There is a nice article in the Learning Center on Bully behavior in chickens and what you can do to help prevent it https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bullying-behavior-in-chickens In the winter bored hens are really prone to starting this, and doing what you can to keep them entertained helps, removing the bully birds for a few days to knock them down in the pecking order sometimes works also. Pinless Peepers will usually put a stop to it if nothing else works. You might try spraying the bare skin of the plucked birds with something like Blu-Kote, that won't stop but it sometimes helps slow down the plucking and might help prevent them picking on sore spots.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

I'm glad you joined us.

You've received some good links and advice already! Good luck in solving the feather problem.

 

[drumstick diva]

Are the bullies eating the feathers they pluck? Sometimes chickens do that because they need more protein in their diet. You might try adding more protein to see if it lessens or eliminates the problem.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.
Make sure your birds have protein. Lack of protein can cause feather picking.

 

[denabry]

Are the bullies eating the feathers they pluck?  Sometimes chickens  do that  because they need more protein in their diet.  You might try adding more protein to see if it lessens or eliminates the problem.

Thanks! I'm thinking its a combination of protein and boredom. The last couple of weeks have been icy and snowy and they refuse to get out in it so they've been staying in. I've got to figure out how to alleviate the boredom. Now I've got a yard full of mud to deal with too!