pecking order and pinless peepers

[JPHens]

Hi Folks,

My four girls seem to be unlucky with a pecking problem. It started with one pecker in the winter (MA) but even now with them being out a lot more it continues and gets more complex. I have tried keeping them more occupied and changing their diet. I have used Blu Kote on the pecked bottoms. I have separated the main pecker, though not a lot b/c we are in the city and the other structure is a tiny dog kennel. I need to build a fence so they can be out a lot more but now even when they are outside, there is still pecking. The girl with the pinless peeper still pecks, sadly, though now there is no blood drawn. Two others of the four have been spotted pecking. Only two get pecked, so one is pecking and also pecks the low girl in the pecking order.Both are now pecked on their bottoms and also on their necks. The neck pecking is new as of the past week or so. I am thinking of putting the peepers on the one who is pecked and pecking, and also the other (infrequent) pecker, but I wonder if it is a bad idea to put it on the girl who is both pecked and pecking. Will it cause her to be pecked more by the main pecker who already has the p. peepers?

Thanks.

JP Hens

 

[cafarmgirl]

Unfortunately there are no easy answers to this problem. Once a flock has gotten into this nasty habit and more then one bird is participating it can be almost impossible to break them of it. How much space do they have in the coop and run? The more space you can give them the better but at this point I wouldn't have high hopes for putting a stop to it.

 

[JPHens]

Ugh, that is what I am fearing. Their run is 9 x 4 with the coop (3x4) up above, but they are out most days an hour here and another hour there, and there is some pecking that happens outside too, mainly when the low girl (Mel) is near food that the highest girl (Red) wants, or even the middle girl who is pecked and pecking.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I suspect that space, or lack thereof, was probably the root of your problem. Chickens get bored really fast and then they get irritable with each other and the problems start.