Polish and houdan getting pecked on the head!

[Janhill]

I have a Polish pullet as well as a mottled houdon - both with crests. They are both being pecked on the head by the other girls - 3 that I know of. They are all the same age - I had this issue with Suzi the Polish girl several weeks ago and I put her crest in a ponytail which covered the area that was being pecked but the bands don’t stay in for long. I have 10 altogether- we have plenty of space and lots of things to do, I’m thinking the other girls are bothered by their crests. Should I remove them from the rest of the flock? I have used vetericyn for the area being pecked, but I am worried that it will continue. Winter is coming and we don’t have time to build another coop. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Debbie292d]

We recently lost a beautiful paint silkie hen after she was violently pecked in the head by a mother hen with a batch of chicks she got too close to. You'll have to find a way to separate them.

What about a large dog kennel inside your coop? That's kind of cruel, but better than dead.

 

[kattabelly]

Could you try trimming their crests to prevent future pecking once the area that's been pecked is healed? (Being careful to avoid any new feathers that might bleed)

I have two Shetlands that need the sides of their crests trimmed so they can see properly. I noticed another pullet pecking at one recently but it seemed to be aimed at the spot where she'd started growing a couple of white feathers in the centre of her crest. Apparently they stood out against the wheaten enough to be a target. Removing those seems to have helped.

 

[rural mouse]

My houdan would get attacked by some of the rest of the flock when her crest interfered with her vision. A blind bird is a threat to the survival of the rest of the flock. When her crest was trimmed so she could see, she was left in peace as a flock member.

 

[Yardmom]

What are the breeds/temperaments of the rest of your flock? With a mild manner flock trim crests, so all birds can see and stand their ground. It is best not to keep mild mannered created breeds with more aggressive standard breeds. Hopefully you can figure out how to separate with fences or very large crates.