What would you do with a feather-puller?

[CoriM]

I've posted on here before about my female pekin Tuppins who has the bizarre feather pulling ritual with my two other female pekins. They allow her to pull their feathers around their shoulders, mostly when they're in the water, or right next to the fresh water. Seems like some mixed up mating ideas? Anyway, I've been keeping the ducks run divided down the middle with a fence for the last 6 months. I also divided their sleeping area for a time, but I don't think it's happening at night and I've opened it up. Problem is this is a difficult solution because they have been laying later in the morning and will break through the side of the fence or be upset dancing around, if they're not on the side that has access to the sleeping area and nesting box. Sometimes I allow them to be together for the first half hour or so until egg laying is done, but I've caught them doing the feather pulling at this time. It's just hard to keep it from happening as it happens so quickly, and I can't watch them 24/7. Both my pekins have little red patches under their feathers where Tuppins has done her damage. I also hate the constant separation as the ducks all have to live in a much smaller area than I intended for them. They are only a year and a half old. Should I keep this up forever and keep trying? Should I put Tuppins down? I hate both solutions. She's a sweet duck otherwise and they all get along just fine. The other pekins allow her to do this to them, so it doesn't feel totally fair, but I also feel sad when I see the plucked areas on my other ducks. Is this something I should just live with?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ypu dpnt have to put her down. She might be better off moving to a flock that will put her in lower rankings though