[Tinkers]

I write in a last attempt to try and stop my hens pecking one another.

We are both at our wits end about what to do now. We have tried a number of different things to try and stop them pecking each other and themselves and we just can't seem to stop them doing it. We even have a beak bit on one and she is starting to look more depressed by the day, she hangs her bum down and her combe is getting paler. She hasn't laid an egg in weeks. She is miserable.

I find today that the hen we nursed back from the brink of death from being excessively pecked now has a bare back again. All the new beautiful feathers gone. Just bare skin. Aaargh! It is so frustrating. It's almost like its habitual to them now - help!

They have the whole run of the garden, they have logs to hop about on, they have mirrors, dust baths, i give them treats....... it can't possibly be boredom.

I'm afraid that if we can't find a way to stop them doing it then we are going to have to re-home them. I am so sad about this as if it comes to letting them go, I have to say that it has put me off getting any more. I love the hens but it is literally wearing me down to see them do it to one antoher and to themselves and I have no way of stopping it!

Any suggestions please!?........

[chooknewbie]

hi there, I am afraid i dont have any solutions for you , but i know that there have been a few people on here with problems... give it a little time and someone will be sure to try and give you some ideas to try...

dont lose heart...

[poultrygeist]

Hi Tinkers.

We've tried purple spray - didn't work. Specs - fell off. Spray on stockholm tar - works for a day then wears off. Lots of greens and logs - helps.
Put a big pile of straw (1/3rd bale) abotu a week ago - seems to be keeping them busy especially when corn thrown into it.
Got proper stockholm tar in a tub to try but waiting until i've clipped their wings very soon otherewise I may get very gobbed up !

Will let you know if it improves things.

Rob

[betty]

I feel for you.  I am in the USA, and not sure if you can find or buy something they call drawing salve.  It's a black greasy tar looking stuff for drawning spinter's out of you hand or whatever, I have put this on their back's and they don't like the stickiness of it or the smell, and after a week or so they backed way off, it could have been the age. as they got older they stoped, or it could have been the salve.  Too many together maybe the cause?  But you let them free range abit, so it may not be space.  I'm really not sure.  But the salve is worth a try.  I'll ask around and get back to you.  yf  Betty  ps it dosn't hurt their skin either.

[betty]

A friend told me you could try to sepeate the ones that are pecking the most.  Put them by themselves for a week or so and then let them back out and the others will put them on a lower pecking order and that might slack them off.  If it does'nt, put them back in their pens for a little while longer the next time.  He said seperation helps.  yf Betty

[Tinkers]

Hi Guys

Thank you for all your ideas, we have the main offender off from the others but the other two still peck each other. Guess we will see how that goes....

thanks again

[WhatCameFirst]

Hi Tinkers

We have had this problem, and in fact had a fatality as a result.  The others had got into the habit of pecking, so we kept giving them cat food (I understand that sometimes they peck to get each others' feathers for protein).  We kept the cat food up for about a week. They slowed down laying of course, but the pecking has all but stopped now.

[poultrygeist]

That's interesting WCF. Thanks for the suggestion.

And pleased you've seen an improvement.

Rob

[Debz]

I have had this happen at the weekend.  Only one of my girls was pecked to bleeding although the other two also have bald bits.  My pecked girl spends the daytime in the greenhouse (she can see the other two through the glass) and in the evening I put her in the hen house again but only once the other two are roosting.  Every morning I take the 3 girls out of the house and spray their bald bits purple.  My pecked girl is healing nicely and the other two don't seem to peck each other.  Strangely enough I thought that the girl that has been pecked was the top girl.  I guess not.  I have given them a bit of cat food and some tinned tuna this week along with their breakfast as a protein shot because I read it on this forum somewhere.  Thanks goodness for online and instant help! 

[Tinkers]

Thanks Debz,  Yeah definitely agree there.

Yeah our situation started off how you have just described yours. But then our other two started to peck each other and now its a free for all. I have to say it's quite distressing to see them doing all the time. We have tried the purple spay on many occasions and it just doesn't seem to have any effect at all unfortunately.

We coat their pellets with a bit of cod liver oil because we were told that could help them, we have brought tonics to put in their water to try and calm them, we have all sorts in the garden to amuse them - short of building an assault course for them I'm not really sure what else a chicken could possibly want? Space is not an issue - they go where they want - I honestly think they do it for no reason.

Its really getting me down now, it's just getting too much.

[Foxy]

so sorry to hear your situation isn't improving. When they develop a habitual pecking problem it is very difficult to break.

Have you tried Ukadex?? a really nasty but effective deterrant you spray on the bird -it does smell awful though...

Finally you may have to consider culling the worst peckers Im afraid.