How to STOP Feather Pecking in Chickens - Ask Phill 33

[@josephcaezza4146]

Easily the most comprehensive account of this issue I have yet seen...well done...

[@flytesofancy]

Thank you Joseph! 😃

[@pattymiller8447]

So glad to get you back. I don’t know why but have not been getting your videos. I missed you. 😂

[@flytesofancy]

Glad to be back! Hope you enjoy the video Patty 😃

[@ruthjanes3551]

Thank you Phil., very helpful. I might try adding more protein to my chickens diet, and help with the feather pecking.

[@flytesofancy]

No problem at all Ruth, fingers crossed their lovely new feathers start growing soon!

[@purplethumb7887]

Thank you! Excellent presentation. Subbed.

[@flytesofancy]

Thank you for the sub! Glad you enjoyed the video 😄

[@elegantsufficiency2866]

This is all brilliantly helpful, thank you.

[@flytesofancy]

Anytime! 😄

[@hendrixghost]

Thank you sir, that was very helpful.

[@flytesofancy]

Glad you found it useful :)

[@philiprahman6778]

Thank you very much, it was useful for me.

[@flytesofancy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@carmalitayanock9584]

I have a recovering naked lady in my flock of 4. We have her isolated to heal. I would love to isolate the bulluy but my ladies all look identical an we can't figure out which one bullies. They are also not very people trusting so we have to chase them down to catch any of them. We have started them all on a higher protein diet and stopped giving kitchen scraps. I'm hopeful for a full recovery and that the new diet pacifies the billy too. Thank you for your videos. I do enjoy them very much.

[@jacquiesnick1501]

Great video and information, Does removing them to another enclosure work as well? Then bringing them back in the coop at night to roost. After their jail time. I have a small flock but not the room to keep them in coop at night locked up.

[@phillipweymouth430]

If you can keep them separated at night it really helps, she could perhaps go in a large ventilated cardboard box overnight.

[@josephcaezza4146]

Genius INSIGHT... thanks...

[@runjettyrun3819]

love your videos - thank you - so helpful and much appreciated

[@flytesofancy]

Thank you! Enjoy 😃

[@lauratittensor2691]

I don’t give my hens treats, they are too busy helping themselves to fruit from garden

[@flytesofancy]

Ahhhh, self sourced treats 🤣

[@jacquelinemoloney3530]

Thank you this might be trial and error considering i purchased my flock from a pasture fed farm and they had no feathers to start with, all have grown feathers back on their backs but their tails only just started growing back but not all chickens at one time.

[@flytesofancy]

It's not unheard of for birds to take over a year to even begin regrowing their plumage, never mind full coverage - especially in rehomed battery hens for example.

[@maristermcsorley4203]

Thank you Phil I got couple that they look bare and little bit red in their tummy is this to do that they have been broody?😊

[@makerehaami1470]

Can we bath chickens and what do we use.

[@nashwaran473]

Hi Phil I asked you solutions before could not find your reply Our chickens some how developed this habit and they could not stop it now even though we increased size of run, used sprays, increased protein treats none of them worked .out of 10 member flocks we have a cockerel, and only four hens being pecked and bold. One of them is offender other three are sufferers. Main time and situation of the offence taken place when they have dust bath. Other times they rarely feather peck.please advise Thanks

[@phillipweymouth430]

I am afraid that you will have to separate the offending culprit for at least a week so he moves down the pecking order. You may have to repeat this treatment several times.

[@nashwaran473]

@phillipweymouth430 Thanks, sadly pecking , order is not seems to be the issues because the offenders are low down in pecking order they even peck the rooster

[@RedDead-rl9nf]

I have a single hen and single rooster and I believe he's over breeding her and making her back go bald, should I use a spray or a pair of blinders for him?

[@flytesofancy]

If she's going bald from your rooster mounting her repeatedly (a common problem especially in the spring!) then yes a gentian violet spray would help keep the sore skin clean of any bacteria, then you could put a Poultry Saddle on your hen to protect her from the roosters claws/beak cockerel during mating, preventing wounds whilst allowing for new feather growth underneath :)

[@stacyhazelwood4033]

My cockerel is the one being bullied. The hens peck his rear end till he has no tail feathers. I have tried the sprays. We have taken him out of the flock and put him in a cage by himself. We feed them a feed that is 15% protein.

[@flytesofancy]

Is the cockerel smaller or a different breed to the rest of the birds? Are they just pulling the feathers or have you noticed them eating them? And is it all of the girls, or have you noticed one perhaps being more aggressive than any other?

[@stacyhazelwood4033]

@@flytesofancy They are all the same breed (Wellsummer). All the hens look alike. I am trying to mark them so I can tell them apart. I marked 2 of them last week that were doing it. When I put him back with them a few days ago, it was a different hen doing it. I have not noticed if they are eating them, or just plucking them. I think that he may be pecking at his own tail feathers too.

[@Pets-n-Treats]

I suspect that my hens are having their feathers damaged from when the rooster hops on them.

[@flytesofancy]

This can happen a lot, particularly if you have an ... enthusiastic cockerel. Depending on where he is causing damage, a poultry saddle can be very helpful to prevent excessive feather loss