3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[AmberSky]

I thought my girls had mites so I treated for it.

But As I sit in my garden as dusk aproaches I can see the culprit.

Eva my Italian black leghorn hen is systematically pliucking feathers out of the rear of the other girls. I actually just saw her pluck about 4 out and eat them with quite vigour. What can I do about it.

A couple of girls rumps are quite bare

Edited May 17, 2011 by Guest

[Henhathnofury]

Sounds like a protein deficiency. Do you have any anti-peck spray? It tastes horrible, apparently. But adding some more protein - such as mealworms - might help...

[supergreenmini]

We also have a single hen who pecks the feathers of our other girls. They don't argue, they don't fight and they will also just lie there as she steals a feather. WE have tried everything from entertainment, letting them free range a lot more, varying their diet more as well as the anti peck sprays. It does seem to be worse if they are not free ranging for as long. I have just fit a bumper bit http://tinyurl.com/64umq86 to the naughty girl and hope this will sort them out. My research has shown that sometimes you just get a girl who pecks and if you do not deal with it, it can get worse.

 

Protein deficiency seems to be another response i have seen but the diet of my girls is so varied i have not considered this but black oil sunflower seeds are recommended as a good supplement.

 

 

Hope this helps and i will try to update on the progress of my girls, now the bit has been fitted.

[AmberSky]

Thanks for the help, supergreenmini your situation is exactly like mine, the other girls just sit there and let eva pick out the feathers.

 

the bumper bits sounded barbaric but after further reading they seem ok so i have ordered some from ebay at just over £2 and i will look into extra protein.

[JanTheDiver]

We had a single pecker, but all four now do it. I was going down the bumper bit route, and actually bought some, but was then told that they were going to be illegal in a couple of years time so didn't fit them (like Ambersky I thought they were barbaric too).

 

I still get a bit of pecking but not as much as I did as most weeks they get half a tin of cat food (not chicken or turkey flavoured ) and they get meal worms fairly regularly, so plenty of protein. Every two weeks we spray the bare patches with purple spray and then the feathers around it with Nettex (which really stinks) and this seems to keep the pecking down to a low level.

[AmberSky]

Bumper bits arrived promptly today and Eva now has it on, was a little tricky at first but did not take long to fit.

 

I now have 1 unhappy hen but 12 happy girls, Eva seems to be getting used to it though but i will keep an eye on her just in case.

[surfer_chicken]

Uh oh! I have a chook who likes the taste of feathers, she picks them off of the floor and eats them. I hope she doesn't work out where they come from

 

Good luck with the bumper bits

[AmberSky]

Quick update, Eva is scratching about as if she has no care in the world so the bumper is not bothering her and also the other girls feathers seem to be returning already woo hooo