[Walfre]

Help please, all our 5 girls are pulling each others feathers out. We have followed advise given but nothing seems to stop it. We have used the purlple spray& the stuff that tastes nasty. Now one of our girls has a very nasty looking bloodied  rear end, she stopped eating & was very unhappy. We have put her in a dog cage inside the run so she is apart from the others but they can all see each other. We also sprayed her rear well with the purple spray. She has started eating now. What are we doing wrong? They have a good size covered run with wood chip on the floor which they enjoy scratching in. We feed a good quality layers. They have water & daily greens of some sort(grass cuttings, cabbage leaves etc.) Also a handful of corn or mealworms scattered around the run sometimes for them to have a good scratch.  Their coop is of a suitable size for 5 birds. We are getting 3-5 eggs daily, 4 the last few days so assume it is Pearl (the bloodied one) that has stopped laying. A friend suggested no treats just the layers but this seems to make the pecking worse as I am sure they then get bored.

[Casey76]

How big is your "good sized run"?

Each hen needs at least 1sqm free and clear of areas needed for food and watering stations, dust bathing area and perching areas.  If your hens are in their run permanently, you should really consider 3sqm per hen.

Do you have perching equipment, dust bath area, logs for jumping on off, a paving slab turned over after a week makes a good scratching area as the hens look for worms and woodlice etc.

Have you checked your hens for parasites, like lice?  Feather pecking can start with over enthusiastic grooming.

Do the hens eat the feahers they pluck, or do they just pull them out?  Feather eating is often a sign of protein deficiency.

Corn/meal worms as a scratch feed, should be limited to a small handfull (for all 5 hens, not each!) in the evening.  Up until then they should have free access to layers pellets, at least two feeding stations.

Lastly, as the pecking seems to be ingrained, you could try beak bits.  these will top the hen from being able to grip the feather to pull it out, but doesn't effect eating/drinking or grooming.

[Walfre]

Thanks for the reply. Run is big enough,about the size you mention ( I still work in feet & yards though) made sure of that before we got the girls. Will add the paving slab & logs. Recently (2 weeks ago) good dusting with louse powder. Will check them over again though. They have eaten the odd feather but mainly just pulling them out. Layers on offer all day, only 1 feeder but it is a large round one & they can all get round it together with plenty of room to spare. probably have been over enthusiastic with corn/meal worms but while they are scratching around they are not pecking each other.
Thought about beak bits but read that they are difficult to put on, is that true or a hen myth. Seems a bit unkind as well  but we may have to go down that road if nothing else works.

[Walfre]

Seems the bloodied rear may have been the cause rather than the effect. We knew one of our girls was laying big eggs & now we have her isolated we know it is this one. She is laying eggs weighing 80grams (the other girl's eggs are about 35grams. ) They are coming out with blood on them & she is bleeding a little with each lay. We are keeping her isolated. Will this improve, there was much less blood yesterday than the day before. Darn't put her back in with the others as they will go for her again if she bleeds next time she lays. She seems happy enough, looks healthy & is feeding well. Don't want her to suffer in any way but don't want to put her down if there is no need.

[kegs]

Try coating her pellets with cod liver oil to see if this helps, and if possible give her more access to grass and keep using the purple spray to disguise any redness.  If that doesn't help you could try her on a different brand of food.