[SarahJC]

Is it possible to dilute the really thick gooey stockholm tar that you can get in the yellow tub, so that it is sprayable? I've got a tub and wish I'd bought the spray version instead  . Theres no ingredients on the tub, so that doesn't help. My girls look like thay are wearing purple trousers at the moment, as I've tried gentian violet to stop the pecking, but it hasn't helped  . One of them was totally freaked out by her 'purple trousers' and kept trying to run away from them! My white star looked like she was wearing purple blusher for a while too. I've tried a bumpa bit, but the pecker couldn't eat with it on and was getting distressed  .

Feather pecking seems to be such a common problem sadly 

[SMD66]

Hi, I tried painting/dawbing on stockholm tar to stop feather pecking but it didn't work.  Once it had dried  the offending hen just carried on plucking the other's bums.  In the end I swapped the plucker for a different hen, ( with a friend locally) The trouble then was introducing a single hen to the other two, she had a hard time being accepted, it took about 10 days for them to stop chasing her.
I think the pecking started due to boredom, they were in a pen which, with hindsight, was just not really big enough for them to provide their own diversions.

[bubs]

i am having a similar problem i have got 12 hens 8 amberlees and 4 warrens in a shed with a big run and 2 or 3 of the amberlees are plucking  the warrens all the time and their bare underneath and they keep pulling at their tail feathers , the warrens happily sit there alowing this to happen .
i have also got 7 , 16 week pol warrens in another flght with a small shed built inside and i think i will put the trouble makers in the flight and leave the 7 warrens go in with the big hens , i think there will be less fighting once they settle in there.

[joyfull]

Think that would be the best thing bubs, one of my amberlinks made life hell for two of my other hens in fact she half killed one two days ago (that was after having a beak ring in which she managed to remove  ). The poor bullied hen dissapeared for two days and has just come back today. The offending bully has now been dealt with and peace has resumed 

[SnooziSuzi]

I have 2 feather pluckers, but they only pluck their own feathers on their own backs.  I suspected lice but have dusted them several times and inspected them thoroughly and not found a single louse so it must be an ordinary feather pecking habit which I haven't had to deal with before.

I bought some stockholm tar but the tub was cracked and sticky all over  and I had to decant it into an old tub but the original tub didn't have instructions and I guess I'm supposed to spread it on like molasses on toast??  can't really see another way of getting it onto them apart from dripping it, and that's just going to be a mess 

[SarahJC]

Feather plucking seems to be such a problem, with a lot of people. If I wasn't such a softie should would probably be in the pot by now 

It's strange but when it first started she only did it to my white star and left a blooming wound which wound powder sorted out. Now they all have stick legs from lack of feathers. She tore a big patch of skin off the underside of one of my Gold Stars , which never bled and wound powder once again sorted that out.

I wistfully look at pictures of chickens with lovely fluffy bottoms these days 

Unsure of what to try now, I've done the Johnsons pecking spray (which dries out so quick) and gentian violet, and the bumpa bit ended up only in one nostril, so its now off. We keep the coop door open now due to the warm weather and it opens into the run. Then they are in the garden at 1ish after I'm home from work. Have been hanging things in the run and coop too.

Anything else I can try? They try to sit down and chill out and she's there pecking away. When they are dust bathing I have to confine her to the run, so they can do it in peace 

[joyfull]

can you segregate the bully for a few days so that she loses her place in the pecking order? That sometimes helps, otherwise I would get rid of her if it was mine 

[good egg]

hi
year's ago they used to de beck them for feather pecking or is that not aloud nowadays

[SMD66]

I agree with joyfull,

can you segregate the bully for a few days so that she loses her place in the pecking order? That sometimes helps, otherwise I would get rid of her if it was mine 

stockholm Tar ISN'T the answer

[SnooziSuzi]

I agree with joyfull,

can you segregate the bully for a few days so that she loses her place in the pecking order? That sometimes helps, otherwise I would get rid of her if it was mine 

stockholm Tar ISN'T the answer

but what about for birds doing it to themselves?

[joyfull]

sorry snoozi I've not had that problem but seem to remember a thread on here about it could be lack of calcium causing them to do this - perhaps you could look into this, joyfull xx

[too many girls]

i have 1 feather pecker, she's always done it, i think it's just a habit she developed whilst a barn hen, i've watched her systamatically peck poor Lois and Lois just sat there like a lemon and let her, mine free range the farm all day and have access to oyster shell and layers pellets 24/7 so i don't think with her it's a dietary thing, if you can find out the reason for your feather pecker you'll have a better chance of stopping it, stockholme tar never worked for me but if you are thinking of trying it wear a bin liner and rubber gloves

[Brambles]

My feather pecker too was a barn hen, I got her when the farm closed down... she has a clipped beak sadly... but she still managed to pull out everyone else's feathers leaving them with bare necks, breasts and bottoms.  I tried EVERYTHING... now she has a pen and small house to herself...  She is a really contented girl now as all the food she has is just for her, I am sure that in her case she was stressed in case the others ate all the food and titbits leaving none for her!  The runs are together with mesh separating, so they see each other and chat over the fence

[Foxy]

sorry snoozi I've not had that problem but seem to remember a thread on here about it could be lack of calcium causing them to do this - perhaps you could look into this, joyfull xx

sometimes a lack of protein can stimulate the habit. Supplement their diet with a little kitten food can sometimes help. Scatter a little mixed corn on the run floor will give them something to peck at too.
A rather smelly anti peck spray is "Ukadex" supposed to be quite good, but it does pong!

[SarahJC]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm not giving up on her yet. Actually I won't give up on her. As I said I'm just a big old softy 

Has anyone had any success with beak bits? I've tried a bumpa bit, but she couldn't seem to eat. Are beak bits better for allowing them to eat? I think she may go nuts not being able to peck the grass