Pecking problem

[tc4]

Hi,
I am new to the site and new to raising chickens (we had them years ago but times have changed). I need help and advice on how to stop our 8 chickens pecking the once lovely white head of our Polish Bantam Rooster.

We have 8 chickens (2 each of Silver Lace Wynadotte's, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Black Australops and Buff Orpingtons), one Polish Rooster (was supposed to be a hen)who is a Bantam, He looks after the girls, hering them, comes running if one of them squaaks too loudly, calls out if there is a hawk around etc.). However, they have pecked his lovely white head feathers off, we tried separating him, he hates it and kicks up a huge fuss and gets frantic until he gets back to the girls. We put Blue Kote on, No pick to no avail, some days he seems to be okay but today I went out and there he was all bloody. He knows we are coming to put stuff on him so he runs away. Do we have to do this every night without fail, can we do something else, like try Vicks vapour rub as I have read on here?

They are free range when we are home, they have a large 8' w x 6' d x 7' high coop and a 12' x 8' run for the rest of the time. We hate to get rid of him as we have grown fond of him and he is a protector to the girls.

Any advice is most welcome and thanks for all the good posts, I have been reading this since before we bought the chicks at a day old.

We are in Sunny CA loving our chicks and hoping to get our first eggs in a couple of weeks

 

[sourland]

Sadly enough, Polish because of their temperment and reduced vision frequently become the target of the other birds. I would recommend removing him until his crest grows in (no pin feathers.) Then trim the crest so that he can see what is going on and try reintroducing him to the flock. Good luck, frequently Polish have to be penned seperately. Under free range conditions they seem to do better with flockmates but are more susceptible to predation.

 

[tc4]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice, not sure how we will keep him separated, he goes bonkers if we try and crows his head off. He appears totally stressed when we tried it before but if that is all we can do we will. I will try cutting his feathers though.

 

[Desert Rooster]

Hello

from Hesperia,CA and

 

[dianaross77]

and

from Michigan! Do a search for pinless peepers. They are little goggles you can put on the chickens that peck.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio. So glad you joined. That is the problem when blood is drawn, then the others peck just because they see red. I had to put Bluekote on a hen of mine everyday for a month so they wouldn't peck at her. Good luck.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[texasgal]

A big Texas-sized

 

[tc4]

Thanks for all the hello's this is a great site, I am learning so much and everyone is so friendly and helpful, when I learn more about uploading pics I will put some up, got to have my nephew teach me. I sure am loving having chickens (except when they dig up my new plants) but all part of the deal, I go chase them off and sometimes I have to turn the hose on to get them to move. Their personalities are so different and they are so funny to watch. Looking forward to our first egg which should be in 2-3 weeks. Now I have to go traumatize our rooster again to put the blue kote and no pick on him. Oh if you could hear the racket he makes when we try to catch him, it takes two of us.