[Pony Girl]

We have x2 brown rangers (Clover and Sage got at 16 wks of age in March 2012) and 1 favorelle (Bella just over a year old). About a month ago we moved house and they went to a farm that does chicken boarding for a couple of weeks, whilst their state of the art new home was being erected.

I wanted to get two more POL hens and we were advised it was as good a time as any to try and introduce new stock as it would be a new territory for everyone. We introduced them gradually, seperating the new ones (Blossom - Skyline and Pickles - black copper maran hybrid) during the day in a coop inside the main run and letting them all go in together at night (I've been getting up at dawn to seperate them).

Bella now fully accepts the new ones but Clover and Sage have been evil and are still trying to attack the young ones. I spend time in the coop with them all every day, to monitor them and check if they are ready to be integrated but even a month on they are still persistently trying to attack them. They are also now feather plucking Bella. I put purple spray and anti peck spray on her round her vent, but they are now trying to peck her feet and making them bleed so I've had to seperate her as well and put them in with the other two.

I have also noticed Blossom now eats the little feathers she finds in the run.

The new run is much bigger than the old one and they have plenty of things to keep them occupied. They are on good quality organic layers crumb (for adult hens) and have plenty of greens. I was feeding them corn in the afternoons but have stopped this as I heard it can be like oats and make hens more energetic and aggressive.

I can't keep them seperated indefinitely but feel if this carries on I'm going to have to get rid of Clover and Sage. I'm now considering bumpa bits for the bullies. Has anyone had an experience of these?

Please help!


Edit title to clarify topic

[ehs284]

No experience of the bits, but there are lots of people using them - just google bumpa bits.
Having said that, bullying is not just pecking and the habit of bullying and being bullied is likely to remain. The best hope (after fitting the bits) is to give them lots of room and somewhere for the bullied to go and feel safe. You say, "a bigger run", but is it really big enough for dealing with your problem?

[moomintroll]

I used a beak clip on my black rock who picked up her feather pecking habit from my maran. (had to have maran rehomed as I couldn't break her feather pecking despite trying everything)

Anyhow, after rehoming my maran, i noticed black rock was occasionally feather pecking my cockerel. I really wanted it nipped in bud as didn't want her to go same way. Had previously tried anti peck spray, purple spray, vicks vaporub etc etc. So decided on beak clips. It's the C shaped clips. It's a 2 person job to fit, and chicken will screech like you are throttling her within an inch of her life!! She will give you evil looks for few days, and you will feel terrible, but THEY WORK!!!! They can still eat and drink, not as freely as usual but acceptable. I kept the clip on her for about 3 weeks and she's never pecked since!!! The only problem is, they do wear their beak away a wee bit, but it grows back quickly, no permanent damage.... def worth a few days of huffiness lol x

[Sassy]

Have you tried more feeding and watering stations? It may not work but often it is down to this. If it works you could try taking the extra ones away after a few weeks and it should all be fine.

[darkbrowneggs]

Stress is one of the things that brings on feather pecking, and we all know how stressful moving home is, and adapting to new members of the "family".   

As you know once this starts it is a hard habit to break as feathers, particularly the new stubby ones are full of blood so tasty and nutritious, and convenient if the birds are penned. 

In my experience Black Rocks and certain other types of hybrid are particularly prone to it.  The Black Rocks as they were specifically bred for their hardy free ranging abilities, and once confined soon become bored. 

The feather plucking if left unchecked can (horribly  ) develop into cannabalism, so the sooner it is stopped the better.  As someone mentioned apparently bumper bits or spectacles generally work, though I have never had to use them.  It is best to make sure it is stamped out quickly as it is a learnt behaviour and the others will copy.

In my experience moomintroll Cuckoo Marans are pretty laid back and placid birds, and I have not known one to feather peck, but so many hybrid birds are passed off as Marans nowadays perhaps yours had a bit of something else mixed in with it  .

[joyfull]

beak clips do work but really they are a two man operation to fit them. They don't hurt the chicken and they get used to them very quickly. Often by the time they wear down the bird has got out of the feather pulling stage and no longer need them.