should I isolate her?

[vermontgal]

One of my two barred rock chickens is getting pecked on the comb. She has pocked scabs all over her comb, and a couple on her wattles. This has been going on for about 3 weeks now, and it seems to be getting worse not better.

Should I isolate her from the flock?

If so, I am thinking to do so by putting her inside a dog crate inside the coop, so that she won't be completely out of the social order (just not being pecked).

Any advice? I have 4 chickens - 2 BR, 1 NHR and 1 EE. The one BR is the only one with any signs of pecking or scabs.

Thanks in advance.

Edited to add: the gals all just started laying about the time the pecking problem showed up. They are now about 29-30 weeks old.

 

[morelcabin]

Try to find out which hen is pecking her and remove that one for a day or two. This will change the pecking order and perhaps make things better

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
YES.


If you remove the one being picked on - it will become really difficult to re-introduce her at a later date. As long as she's not bleeding too bad, to attract more picking, clean her up and remove the picker!

 

[FarmGirl01]

Are they fighting over nest? Do you have enough nest boxes? The others are right. Try to remove the one doing the harm first.

 

[vermontgal]

OK! That's easy to take out the chicken who pecks her. It's Sarah (Palin), the NHR, and this is just about the right timing. I'll take her out on Tuesday.

Seriously, if I have time, I'll take her out tomorrow. All politics aside, thanks for the suggestion.

Sarah will go in the dog crate, but I don't want to think about the awful wailing noise she will make; she hates being alone. In the long run, Sarah may be leaving the flock permanently because I am the top gal, and I don't like her. Not because of her name

Sarah.

Anyone want to buy a standoffish, stupid, and obnoxious-noise-making NHR?

Who also seems to be beating up on my favorite chicken?

I have 2 nest boxes, but no one ever uses the second one. My nest box is also big enough for 2 chickens side by side. Yesterday I watched my EE and the (pecked) BR in there together.

 

[TXmom]

Quote:
Hmmmm...I think you need some "sales" training. But seriously, I hope she gets better after you separate her for a couple days.

 

[vermontgal]

She is a good layer! If you want eggs, she's a great bird. If you want personality, look elsewhere...

 

[SussexInSeattle]

I may get beat up for this again but when I had a pullet that became possesed by the devil, I processed her and harmony returned to my little group. I got really beaten down for saying so in here because supposedly I "punished" a bird for acting naturally because the person assumed I wanted all the eggs I could carry.

She never read what my problem really was;NOTHING to do with wanting eggs, that the bird was mean to not only me, (which doesn't fly too far when I pay for feed) she was mean to others in the barn as well. I felt as though this wicked animal should not go into someone elses flock and pull the same crazy act with the screaming and attacking.

Someone in here had a cute signature that asked: why is it that the meanest roosters always the taste the best? Or something similar. Very cute and fitting.

 

[morelcabin]

Quote:
Yes the animal worship in here gets a little heavy at times:>) Some things should simply be ignored...