Great, now I have chicken drama

[3lilbubs]

I should have known it would happen to me. My oldest group of pullets (14-16wks) had been moulting. The 2and of three moults when they are chicks, I'm told. Fred the one and only rooster, has been set afire by hormones. A couple weeks back he was trying to mate the still too young- hens. So he'd grab their neck, they'd shriek and carry on and run away. Nobody's squatting yet.

So apparently during all this, or maybe as a snowball effect from moulting and eating the discarded feathers, pulling out some when the roo snipped at the girls- possibly some protein deficiency from being so close to laying for all of them and too many kitchen scrap treats I have a feather pulling problem. Specifically, the rooster and one other hen that I can see are cornering the others and yanking feathers from their sides. Seems to be focused on my poor Greta and Maggie who has the crooked toe right now, the two most calm hens and the least likely to run seeing someone coming at them.

I've taken away all treats, save for giving some cooked eggs once a day and I'm kind of stuck on where to go next. Since it's not a single meanie hen or one bird getting picked on by all others I can't really see isolating anyone. Peepers? How long does a protein deficiency take to resolve?

I can't bear hearing poor Greta scream every time one of those two gets her.

[jen_batten]

We didn't have feather problems when they were this old, we only had them when they were little so I'm not sure it will work but it may be worth a shot. Put some vicks on the injured hens whereever the others like to peck. They don't like the taste/texture of it and won't want to peck it after the first coulple times. If the hens you are putting it on are really raw, put down some vasiline or something first, otherwise the vicks will burn.

[Leah52]

I can't find my book right now but I'm pretty sure the author recommended thieves oil which has some of the same oils as Vick's so that would make sense...and most people are probably more likely to have Vick's than thieves oil.

[3lilbubs]

Well, thankfully nobody is bare (yet) though a few are looking nearly tail-less. I got up super early this am so I could observe them and it would seem that Rudy (the suspect hen) is the worst. Fred poked at a few of the girls on their backs but it looked like more of a hey, get outta my way- type of peck. Rudy was more or less hunting the other girls. I'm a little worried about isolating her in the rabbit hutch in this heat. Anyone have experience with the peepers?

ETA: ordered some, hope dh and I can get them on and that it works. Have a feeling one of our littles might need them later on too, she's a stinker. Picked out all the pinfeathers on the brahma baby's back. Doesn't help that she's a pushover and let her do it but still!