Same hen keeps getting pecked at by all the others

[skylavaulter]

It started when she was 3 weeks - they pecked at her tail feathers until she developed a sore there. We pulled her and let it heal. We found the issue was overcrowding in the brooder and fixed that. Now the birds are all around 10weeks and out in the 15x15ft run (12 pullets in all) and 8x4ft coop at night. The same bird is still getting pecked at, and she has developed another (smaller - we caught it early) sore on her rear. We built a smaller wire area within the run so she can still be out there, but protected from the others, but I don't want to continue that long term. Whenever she's in with the others, they chase her off and seem to generally exclude her. Is there any hope of getting them to accept her, or will she always be picked on by the others? She's the only friendly one and the kids adore her. But I can't keep a "pet chicken" that comes in every night to sleep in our kitchen so she is safe!

 

[brownduck0234]

There is stuff called No-Peck that you put on the chicken's wings,back,and head or wherever the chicken is being pecked. It should stop the pecking since the chickens dont like the No-Peck for some reason. You can get it ar Tractor Supply and maybe Atwoods. If you cant find it there you can get it online. Or the chickens may have a while till they actually except her into the pecking order. She is probably the lowest rank if she was excepted so that is probably the reason they chase her and peck at her

 

[skylavaulter]

Thanks - it stinks I was at TSC today and it's 45 minutes from us

I'll have to make another trip there.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks - it stinks I was at TSC today and it's 45 minutes from us

I'll have to make another trip there.

You can try some other things that you might have already, such as menthol ointment (think BenGay,) Bag balm, Vicks, or Nustock cream. Anything bad tasting and non-toxic may help stop pecking. I have used BluKote which colors the red areas blue, and gentian violet which is sold at most drug stores, is the main ingredient.

 

[skylavaulter]

I found Pick No More on Amazon for $9 and free shipping. It will be here Monday. Thank you!

 

[VAsweetchicks]

I have also used the blucote...sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't ! Depending on what kind of drama goes on in the henhouse and which chicken is asserting its dominance over the others...some poor, little submissive chook is gonna be pecked! I hate that it happens...my sweetest chicken with me- is the mean dominant female to the others! As adorable and fun as they are - chickens are often mean to each other. Avoid the menthols on a raw area as they will burn the chicks skin and just make it redder and more attractive to pecking. You may need to watch and separate out the bullies for awhile...or, if you take her and a 'buddy' out from the others...the bullies will find find another submissive hen to pick on and then you can put her back in with the rest + see what happens! Either way, there's always one at the bottom of the pecking order and suffers for it... Poor baby...

 

[skylavaulter]

It's so sad We took her into our kitchen (in the old chicken wire brooder) for the past two weeks at night to let her sleep without getting picked on. We'd put her into her separate area of the run during the days. I don't know if it changed things up, but they seem to be leaving her butt alone for the past three days. Feathers are growing in and hiding the sore area she had (which is pretty healed now) and everyone seems to be getting along. Last night I allowed her to sleep in the coop with the others and let them all in the run together today. They let her join in the feeding frenzy this morning without incident and her feathers are intact! Hoping I shook up the routine enough by pulling her away from the flock for a few weeks. I still posted this thread last night in case anything changes. That way I have a bottle of pick-no-more on hand should I need it. If anything starts up again, I'm pulling the bully hens. The 12 pullets were purchased together as week-olds, but I think 4 of them were a week or so older than the rest. When we ran out of room in the brooder as they grew, we kept the 4 largest in there and put the other 8 into a cardboard box "city". Since they've all been in the coop and run together, they still mostly congregate in their groups - the bigger 4 will walk around together and the other 8 will too. The bigger 4 seem to be the bullies, even though they're all the same size now. I regret ever separating them all when they were younger!

 

[VAsweetchicks]

It's so sad We took her into our kitchen (in the old chicken wire brooder) for the past two weeks at night to let her sleep without getting picked on. We'd put her into her separate area of the run during the days. I don't know if it changed things up, but they seem to be leaving her butt alone for the past three days. Feathers are growing in and hiding the sore area she had (which is pretty healed now) and everyone seems to be getting along. Last night I allowed her to sleep in the coop with the others and let them all in the run together today. They let her join in the feeding frenzy this morning without incident and her feathers are intact! Hoping I shook up the routine enough by pulling her away from the flock for a few weeks. I still posted this thread last night in case anything changes. That way I have a bottle of pick-no-more on hand should I need it. If anything starts up again, I'm pulling the bully hens. The 12 pullets were purchased together as week-olds, but I think 4 of them were a week or so older than the rest. When we ran out of room in the brooder as they grew, we kept the 4 largest in there and put the other 8 into a cardboard box "city". Since they've all been in the coop and run together, they still mostly congregate in their groups - the bigger 4 will walk around together and the other 8 will too. The bigger 4 seem to be the bullies, even though they're all the same size now. I regret ever separating them all when they were younger!

 

[VAsweetchicks]

With chickens...you never know what's gonna happen! You can only do what you can and hope for the best! Sounds like a little time away may have helped her gain strength and a few feathers. All you can do now is keep an eye on her...and the bullies! They're so cute...and so mean! I find that sometimes when mine are bored, they start picking on each other...so i'll hang up a half head of cabbage out in the run for them to play with and eat! They now have their chicken 'pool'... just a large round tray of water that they love to stand in...we even have a ball that gets filled with scratch that they roll around and eat. They're like kids...if I keep 'em busy, they stay out of trouble! Lol