[Thompson24]

Hi guys

I have been asked to ask this question on behalf of a women on the plot.

She has some well summer hens approx 12 weeks old, all of a sudden they seem to be pecking at each other and some of the have quite large bald patchs on them now :-(

I picked a few chicks up and looked under their feathers etc for nasties but couldnt see any thing?  they dont seem to be pecking them self they seem just to be doing it to each other? can any one suggest anything I can tell her to try?

[Caralou]

How are they being kept? What size run and entertainment do they have in there? It could be down to boredom in which case adding more things to the environment to stimulate them such as hung cabbages and cds to peck at. Do they have plenty of food available and is it growers pellets so they are getting the right nutritional mix? Once they start pecking it can be hard to break so get her to get some purple spray from an equine/pet store and spray their bottoms to help precent further pecking, irritation and infection. If you could get a photo of her chicks and run that may also help as seeing the problem it's so much easier to help with then from descriptions