Polish chicken pulling sisters head feathers

[bridget123]

I got 2 polish chickens for my birthday they came together from a breeder.. lately one of them has been pulling and poking the other ones head feathers?
Is this common with polish chickens and should i worry?

 

[LaFleche]

Please, post some pictures of your Polish and your set up (coop, run etc.)

How old are they?
Are they your only chickens?
Are they allowed to range freely or roam in your yard?

 

[bridget123]

Sorry this is the only photo i have at the moment

They are 7 months old
Free range in a massive backyard
I slowly introduced them to the flock over a period of 3 weeks

They fit in straight away with everyone.

And they are spoilt and sleep in my laundry because they did not want to sleep in the coop with the other girls lol

 

[LaFleche]

Nice picture, thank you!

To keep them safer from predators, it would be best to trim back their overgrown head feathers and allow for unobstructed view.

Did you check them thoroughly for lice and poultry mites? These parasites love to linger in fluffy crests and might entice the other to peck.

 

[bridget123]

Yes checked for lice/mites we even treated them with pestine before introducing them to our girls
When they get up today i will have a look again just to make double sure because we have had them for 1 month now.

 

[bridget123]

Nope no lice at all
When i picked them both up i noticed the one thats getting her feathers plucked and poked at is alot skinnier than the other..
My partner said when he went to pick them out they were in 2 different areas of the ladys coop now im thinking he picked a higher up in the pecking order pullet and a low in the pecking order pullet and the higher up one that might be a bit of a bully
But they go wherever eachother goes in my yard they follow eachother to the point if one cant see the other they carry on somthing shocking
I honestly dont know what to do

 

[bridget123]

That is not blood on her beak im unsure as to what that is but i know its from the other pecking at her you can see some of her top head feathers have been bitten off

Now shes plucking at her in other places

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Maybe it's some sort of grooming? I have a brahma that picks the muff feathers off of my Easter eggers necks. It's the strangest thing. But, they let her and she's not hurting them. When they molt and those feathers come back, she will groom them right off.
However, if the one is hurting the other to cause bruises on the beak, maybe they need to be separated but kept where they can still see one another - just not touch each other?
Can they actually see? Maybe trimming their head feathers would help?

 

[bridget123]

They can see but almost barely i can see maybe half of the eyes when im lookong at them.
Do i need to be careful clipping feathers on the head i have never done that before i have only done wings and i know you cant cut to far on wings

 

[Crazy Maizie]

They can see but almost barely i can see maybe half of the eyes when im lookong at them.
Do i need to be careful clipping feathers on the head i have never done that before i have only done wings and i know you cant cut to far on wings

I'm not sure. I've got 2 polish chicks that are 4 weeks old and it's my first time with the breed.