Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[penny70]

Snow White the dominant hen has started pecking at Choccie's feathers in the last couple of weeks. No skin visible, only feather pecking as yet, on chest and around tail. They've been together since August, same age, both laying well.

They have cube with 3m run, and extra 2mx3m area all wood chipped that they have free run of all day. They come into garden to free range for about 3 hours daily. They are on omlet layers feed, have hanging seed bar, and lifeguard in their water. So no overcrowding, try to minimise boredom.

Two questions.

First, why has the pecking started now?

Second, how can I stop it?

Many thanks in advance everyone!

[penny70]

Anyone?

[auntielizzie]

I have a similar problem with pecking, except I am not sure who is doing the pecking and it has been going on for longer than in your hens. It seems to be happening at night time when they are all tucked up for the night. I'm afraid I'm none the wiser as to why it is happening, but at the moment I have been applying purple spray and anti-pecking spray to the pecked hen in the hope that one will help her to heal and the other will stop her being pecked. I have only been doing this for the last week and I'm not sure whether it is working or not. Sorry not to be of any help, but perhaps someone else will come along who is a bit more knowledgeable about the problem. I don't see so many feathers in the house though which is strange and I think maybe whoever is doing the pecking may be eating the feathers

[penny70]

Have got some anti-peck from Chicken Vet to spray on Choccie, and split them up during the day today apart from while they were free ranging, as they are too busy then to even think about pecking. I've let them sleep together and will check them first thing in the morning to check if Snow White has pecked Choccie overnight. If she has then I'll split them at night too. Easy enough to do with only 2 in a cube with large run, and extra space outside too. The catbox even fits inside the Cube for night times! And they can still interact the entire time which is good, but pecking can't occur.

 

So keep your fingers crossed for Choccie please.

 

Any ideas about why this would start happening now?

 

And any further ideas about how to stop the pecking?

 

And how long should I keep them separated before trying to bring them back together again?

[AJuff]

I tried violet spray and awful smelling spray without any success. However bumper bits worked for me. Tricky to get on but worked a treat. However the minute they came off it was back to square one. Eventually I found that if I took out the two most dominant hens and kept them apart from the others for a week when they returned it all stopped. I guess they were just too busy being put in their place. We have a wonderfully calm hen house now