[DrMunns]

I have some rescues but they are feather pecking pretty bad,  tried all the usual tricks, hanging greens, more protein, toys, anti pack spray, but no joy so last night I tried pine tar. The problem is they have just eaten it all off themselves, like 6 hours later it's gone. Now I'm panicking that I've poisoned them. Has anyone else come across this? I cant find anything online about it, just people saying pine tar works perfectly.
They are pretty red and sore from getting it off them, do you think purple spray might work? I've never come across a situation this and before

[landroverroy]

Where are they pecking? Heads or backsides? If the latter, it could be red mite. Dust with a permethrin louse powder. Some louse powders only deter parasites. Permethrin kills them.

[DrMunns]

I hadn't thought of mites, I always hatch my own but they could have brought them in with them being rescues, couldn't they