Author Topic: feather/vent pecking - is it genetic? (Read 2978 times)

Anke · « **on:** January 24, 2016, 02:38:04 pm »

I am asking because I never had a problem with it, however this is now the second generation of hens that have shown this very badly. I brought in a completely unrelated cockerel last year, but his daughters this year do exactly the same thing... they were not reared with their parent stock, so couldn't have learnt it from them.

They have a large (about 15 by 10m or so) enclosure, with a lot of rough grass in it, are laying well, get layers pellets (more or less ad lib) and a handful of corn in the afternoon. Grit is available. They are not crowded in their house, but aren't very good at perching o/night. They are Copper Marans (mostly, but I do get the odd throwback to either LSx or RIR), but are bascially black with a bit brown speckling on their necks and chest. They hatched early July 2015, started laying late Dec 15. Not running with cockerel atm.

We lost one fairly early on as I just hadn't spotted it, and I had to remove one hen badly vent-pecked (but she is laying fine again) earlier in the week, and now have just had to rescue another one (who promptly bullied the previous single one, but I have run out of emergency runs, so they have to sort it out amongst themselves)... It isn't just one that is doing the pecking, they all go after the pecked hen...

Anyone got any method to stop this? Or do I just have to start with completely new stock?

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2016, 03:08:13 pm »

ooow,

interesting? well you can use an anti pecking bumpa bit or an anti pecking paste on the hen.

once a hen has an exposed blood supply, either in new feather form or as a result of a cut or a pecking injury then others will often be attracted to have a peck too. So could it be just none hen pecking and others following suit? Is there a ringleader / dominant / aggressive hen?

shygirl · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2016, 05:24:09 pm »

we experienced this with a flock of ex-commercials. they would all attack one cockerel at once. they were culled and never kept that breed again.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2016, 05:32:56 pm »

Quote from: Buffy the eggs layer on January 24, 2016, 03:08:13 pm

So could it be just none hen pecking and others following suit? Is there a ringleader / dominant / aggressive hen?

I don't know, as when I see it, it is already bloody and they all have a go..., so will be mighty difficult to separate out any ringleader...

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2016, 05:48:55 pm »

Are they Speckledys (Marans x RIR)? This is a modern hybrid bred for laying so temperament isn't relevant. Distractions such as hanging up bunches of greenstuff might help but I'd be inclined to cull. Once they get a taste for it they get worse and will cause serious injury in a very short space of time.

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2016, 03:14:01 pm »

At the risk of offending all the ex -bat rescuers out there....comercial birds certainly seem to display this type of behaviour more than pure / rare breeds.

I would certainly remove the injured hen, but you have probably done that already. Do they free range or are they confined? Are they getting sufficient levels of protein to meet their egg laying abilities?

have they got enough space, perches, feed and water stations to diffuse any tensions?

If you have one dominant hen who peck another with such force that she draws blood she may then be attracted by the blood and continue pecking along with the others.

I agree with marches that commercial birds are not bred for their interpersonal skills so in that sense you could say that it's genetic but improving their environment might help......?

Anke · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2016, 06:34:01 pm »

These are not commercial birds in any way, home-bred for generations with cockerels brought in from other smallholdings. They are mostly Copper Maran birds, they do have enough space - They were 8 birds to a roughly 10 by 15m pen, can't totally free-range anymore as the eggs used to be laid in very secretive place and new neighbours would take a dim view of a chicken in their pristine garden...

Ad lib layers pellets, mixed corn in the afternoon and any garden veg/weeds etc that I can throw into their pen (in summer).

So I am stumped right now. The two pecked ones are in their own pen and seem to now get on, will see about re-introducing them in due course.

Will be looking for some hatching eggs in due course methinks...

devonlady · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2016, 07:46:18 pm »

You might try sudocrem put thickly on the raw part. It serves to cover the red and heal any wound.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2016, 09:48:36 pm »

Blue a/b spray works quite well, both cleaning and hiding the red wound. If you can spot the main culprit removing her from the pen and reintroducing her after the injured birds should put her at the bottom of the new pecking order, but won't work if she's very dominant and aggressive. I put something new and interesting in the pen when introducing new birds - bedding, straw, an apple - and always at dusk.

Anke · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2016, 10:20:02 am »

I have used the blue spray, if anything it should help it dry up quickly too....and was the only thing I could pick up quickly while having bird in the other hand...

The two pecked ones are happy in their own pen at the moment, so will be mulling over what to do for a few days...