Pecking

[thechickenkeeper]

hi there BYC keepers, is there any way to reduce pecking by another bird? they pick on 1 especially, I try to let her out to free range as much as possible, but I would like them to all live peacefully together, any suggestions would be greatful.

 

[sunnydee]

There is tons of information about pecking on here. It could be caused by a number of things. How many chickens do you have and what size coop are they in? Hens, roos, both? Are they locked up all day? Are they "bored"? Do they have plenty of treats to scratch around for?

If she is getting picked on a lot and drawing blood you may need to apply some stuff to stop them from picking. I cannot remember the exact name, but you will be able to find it in your search.

I have also heard that feather picking can be caused by lack of protein. What type of food are you feeding?

I hope things get better!

 

[cdtrum]

Pine tar is what you can put on area that they are pecking.....it helps heal the wound, it covers it and the other hens hate the smell....we had that problem last year....we had a very cold winter and I kept the hens locked up most days....I got the pine tar at our Tractor Supply....it worked great!