Pecking and Picking Problems

[Eggs_With_Legs]

Hello all,

I've recently started experiencing some pretty serious pecking with my flock. I've done a lot of research and I'd like to think I've gone over all the problems and solutions mentioned, but nothing seems to work.
When I finally realized what was going on, I got better grain, built a whole extra coop, started leaving grain out all day(instead of two feedings per day), they always have water, they're free range chicken so they can come and go as they please. They are almost never confined, they go out first thing in the morning and aren't locked in until almost full dark, they all have plenty of room in the coop, and I have multiple roosting areas for them in the shanty that their coops are in.
So, things started to look better, backs healed, fuzz started to grow and all was calm.
Well, this past week I went out and found one with a totally raw back, and two others with serious feather loss and a few peck marks.
So I removed the ones that were being singled out, and continued on. Now today I'm seeing more major feather loss again.
I'm at a loss at this point and it's been pretty stressful. I haven't noticed any major perpetrators, so must be they save it for when I'm not watching.
They all seem to be very perky and happy as always, and all are continuing to lay.

Any thoughts, tips, or ideas would be most welcome!

Thanks for your time,
EWL

 

[azygous]

When you mentioned "grain", did you mean a commercial feed such as Flock Raiser or do you mean scratch grain? The first is around 20% protein and the second is very low in all nutrients. Not feeding enough protein is one cause of feather picking.

I've been trying to deal with feather picking for over a decade. I even started a thread on the subject. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking.697052/ Many, many people joined the discussion to make it my longest thread ever. But in the end, there has been no breakthrough. No cure. No one perfect solution.

I have noticed that feather picking drops off precipitously in the fall and winter and renews with a vengeance in early spring, and peaks in the summer. Hormones probably play a significant role. But I haven't figured out a way to use that tidbit to harness a solution. I'm currently experimenting with unsweetened psyllium to make their crops feel fuller, but the picking has picked up in intensity as it always has at this time of the year in spite of my efforts.

About all I've found that even begins to work is pinless peepers on an identified picker. It has mixed results whereby some chickens stop the behavior and others manage to defeat the peepers blind spots to continue to pick.

Skim through the thread I linked to. You may find a few things you haven't tried. Good luck.

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

When you mentioned "grain", did you mean a commercial feed such as Flock Raiser or do you mean scratch grain? The first is around 20% protein and the second is very low in all nutrients. Not feeding enough protein is one cause of feather picking.

I've been trying to deal with feather picking for over a decade. I even started a thread on the subject. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking.697052/ Many, many people joined the discussion to make it my longest thread ever. But in the end, there has been no breakthrough. No cure. No one perfect solution.

I have noticed that feather picking drops off precipitously in the fall and winter and renews with a vengeance in early spring, and peaks in the summer. Hormones probably play a significant role. But I haven't figured out a way to use that tidbit to harness a solution. I'm currently experimenting with unsweetened psyllium to make their crops feel fuller, but the picking has picked up in intensity as it always has at this time of the year in spite of my efforts.

About all I've found that even begins to work is pinless peepers on an identified picker. It has mixed results whereby some chickens stop the behavior and others manage to defeat the peepers blind spots to continue to pick.

Skim through the thread I linked to. You may find a few things you haven't tried. Good luck.

Ok, good to know. I give them actual grain. I've been keeping chickens for 15yrs. I just switched to a better brand, the 1st one was 18% and I went up to 20% protein, it was just a little more expensive.
Do you think your pecking may have coincided with integrating new birds? I've never had this problem before, but I recently added a bunch of birds this past spring, and I was wondering if the originals have felt so threatened by the outnumbering that they started this behavior. It's all that I can think of.
I will definitely take a look at your thread, thanks a lot!

 

[azygous]

No, integrating new birds has never been a trigger for feather picking in my flock. Keep looking for any connections, though. You might discover something new for us all.

Yes, do increase the protein intake of your flock. It's the first and most obvious starting point in addressing the problem.

Keep updating this thread with any discoveries you've stumbled onto. You could be the one to solve this perennial problem.

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

No, integrating new birds has never been a trigger for feather picking in my flock. Keep looking for any connections, though. You might discover something new for us all.

Yes, do increase the protein intake of your flock. It's the first and most obvious starting point in addressing the problem.

Keep updating this thread with any discoveries you've stumbled onto. You could be the one to solve this perennial problem.

Will do!

One quick question though, did the horse supplement(I can't remember the name)end up not working? I got pretty far into the thread, but not all the way.

 

[azygous]

Spoiler alert! No, the Forco did not keep working. I haven't used it in years.

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

Spoiler alert! No, the Forco did not keep working. I haven't used it in years.

Ahhh, bummer that stinks. Well, thanks for your time, I'll post if I come up with anything.

 

[chickens really]

My go too information..

 

[Eggs_With_Legs]

Here's the link to my update on the pecking problem, spoiler: it's solved!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pecking-problem-solved.75559/