pulling her own feathers, or getting pecked - does it matter? and what to do?

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks! I was wondering if that might work/if it would make enough of a difference. I can definitely do it now, though once I integrate the new chicks, that would be a pain until they're at POL.

Yeah I have to make adjustments whenever we have chicks (so I replace the layer with all flock, and grower with starter), but we don't regularly add to the flock so it's a minor inconvenience.

 

[cityeggs]

So, just this morning I saw the GLW get aggressive over treats with the Australorp and pull her neck feathers. If I hadn't been on the look-out for feather pulling, I might not have noticed the beak-full of small black neck feathers that appeared on the ground right after, and I might have just assumed that she'd only growled at her. That was a big surprise, especially given than our GLW has a mild beak deformity and has a slightly harder time pecking at things and preening because of it. I've kept an eye on her and she seems to get food well enough to be healthy as far as I can tell, but I do put out mash regularly just in case she needs the extra calories (and because they all seem to love it).

It certainly seems that this could be the cause the missing feathers. The very recent addition of new chicks (they've been out in the coop visible but protected from the big girls for a few days now) is probably also heightening any existing flock friction, so it's possible that this isn't the entire reason. This all happened when I spread treats out next to the chick enclosure so they'd get used to eating near each other without conflict

Given that the GLW already has some decreased function with her beak and nares, would you attempt the pinless peepers with her and just keep a close eye on how it affects her? Or not risk it?

I've had a really hard time getting a good photo of her beak - this is the best I have at the moment, but it's from when she was only a few months old. I feel like it has curved up a little bit more in the middle since then, but the alignment looks about the same - pretty mild. I can try to take a current picture later today, but she's the most difficult to hold of the bunch. She was already, but it doesn't help that I've had to clean & clip her vent feathers numerous times, between her difficulty with preening and her big fluffy Wyandotte back side.