Home : Pets : Stop chickens from pecking each other

Stop chickens from pecking each other

Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little vinegar in their drinking water.

The following was sent in by X.Chicken.X

If you have a problem with chickens being pecked then put talcum powder on where they are pecking, it really works it cured mine in a day and the feathers are starting to grow back fine now. GOOD LUCK!

The following was sent in by Patti

I have 1 hen that is being pecked by 4 other hens. All same age, from same flock. This just started happening when the weather got below 30F. I think it's because they were bored spending so much time in the coop.

Here's what I've tried: 1Tbsp vinegar/1gal H2O, FlockBlock(a huge block of seed that's now in the coop so they can peck away), fresh veggies hung in the coop (broc, celery, cauliflower, etc), and Scarlex scarlet oil spray wound dressing (antiseptic, germicidal, fungicidal).

They seem to be doing better!

Visitors comments

Chickens who peck other chickens Comments By: Ed Stefansen on 2005-08-01

I was just curious as to how much vinegar you are suppose to put in the wather. Why does the vinegar work?

TipKing says: Just a very small amount, I would say a cup full to a gallon of water

Essentials oils Comments By: Sharon on 2005-09-16

Try a drop of Oregano Essential Oil at the base of their tails.

chicken pecking Comments By: Holly on 2006-04-25

How long do you have to give them the vinegar water?

TipKing says: If it not working after say 10 days then it is not working. Sorry not to be any more help

Chicken Pecking Comments By: Nonnie on 2006-10-29

We just inherited a dozen chickens and they're all badly pecked and de-feathered. We want to rejuvenate them quickly and will appreciate any advice. Question: Did you mean 1 CUP vinegar to 1 gallon of water? That doesn't seem like a "small" amount. Not being critical, just want to be sure I do this right! Thanks.

TipKing says: They may not have been pecking each other. Their state may be a result of where they where. I was just guessing with the cup amount. Try just half a cup and maybe increase the amount if needed. It will not do them any harm. Just make sure that they are drinking it okay, by that I mean getting enough fluids.

They will be soon up and about and living life to the full.

What kind of vinegar? Comments By: Robin on 2006-12-27

What kind of vinegar can you put in the chickens water to stop them from pecking each other?

TipKing says: Any type of vinegar will do however many people prefer the white (clear) vinegar

Oregano Essential Oil Comments By: Dana on 2007-03-20

Where can I get Oregano Essential Oil from?

chicken pecking cure Comments By: Yvonne on 2007-07-19

Just came on to see if there was a cure for this as I have one hen that will not leave the others alone, got so bad last night I had to seperate her, didnt like doing this. I will try the vinegar and fingers crossed it will work.

Feather pecking and eating them Comments By: B.Bacon on 2007-10-16

We have recently bought 16 rare breed poults, they have just started laying but are pecking each others feathers and eating them. We have had hybrid chicken in the past and not encountered this problem. We have added vinegar to their water as from today, but why are they eating feathers.

Hens Pecking at the Rooster Comments By: Barbara on 2007-11-22

We have 10 chickens and one rooster, most of the chickens peck the feathers off the rooster and the rooster does nothing about it. Our rooster does not even make any noise since we have had him, we have had them all for two weeks Why are they behaving like this

Vinegar in water Comments By: Tkagie on 2008-01-26

What does the vinegar do to the chickens that makes them stop? Does anyone know why vinegar works?

chicken pecking Comments By: Nat on 2008-05-28

an old man we had met said to give them styrofoam for pecking...we are desperate to stop them from killing each other..so we did and they go crazy for it...i am sure it's not healthy..but none dead today...will try vinegar now!!...

chickens and vinegar Comments By: anon on 2008-07-13

if u spray vinegar on plants, will it be harmful to the chickens who may eat it?

pecking chickens Comments By: nanc on 2008-12-12

I'm having the problem of my chickens pecking eachother. And I looked up natural wormers. It said to use 1 tablespoon to a gal of water. You use this remedy daily.

chicken pecking Comments By: anon on 2009-01-05

there are many reasons chickens peck feathers- to crowded, deficiencies in food, etc. to treat you first have to figure out why they are pecking. don't give them styrofoam it can contain chemicals that can kill your birds. you can try spraying "blue kote" on the ones being picked it has and antiseptic and may taste bad. this is a frustrating problem, good luck

eliminate smell variance Comments By: elaine on 2009-02-22

sometimes a chicken smells different and a light dusting of all the hens with a lice powder will make them all smell the same. Also I purchased a "Flock Block" which is an large, hard block of seed and they love pecking at it. It has reduced their boredom. I will try the vinegar too.

IM A BEGINNER Comments By: suesck@hotmail.com on 2009-03-09

WE BOUGHT CHICKEN THAT WERE FREE RANG 5 TO BE EXACT WELL WE PENNED THEM &THEY DID WELL FOR A WEEK.MY HUSBAND BOUGHT 5 MORE WE PUT THEM IN WITH THE OTHERS THEY ARE KILLING EACH OTHER I HAVE SEPARATED THE REDS AND WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IS THIS A TERRITORIAL THING?

Naughty chicken Comments By: From Robbie age 11 on 2009-04-08

We have 4 chickens. Our chickens have been pecking one of the small chickens so we have put the boss in a different pen we are feeding the naughty chicken pellets. And treats for the good one's and pellets.now we only get 3 eggs a day when we got 4 eggs before they were picking on the small one.

TipKing says: This made me smile. I am sure that they will get back when the boss is put back in her place

chicken pecking other chicken Comments By: anon on 2009-04-23

We are new chicken owners and have two ex battery hens. One is attacking the other,has anyone got a suggestion on how to stop this

TipKing says: They are fighting to find out who will be boss. If the attacked one is being injured separate them for a while and try introducing slowly. I know it is awful to see. When I introduced a cockerel to 6 hens they pecked him till he bled. He won in the end and ended up ruling the roost. Terms like 'ruling the roost' and 'pecking order' are very descriptive of what happens.
GOOD LUCK!

having pecking problems Comments By: Anon on 2009-05-13

has anyone had success in using Blue Kote to get chickens to stop pecking? We have some Blue Kote but have not used it because we're concerned about it 'tainting' the eggs they lay and possibly not being able to eat the chickens once they stop laying. Are these valid concerns?

any success, anybody Comments By: Shon on 2009-05-17

Has anyone had success using the vinegar

chickens pecking each other Comments By: cheryl coronel on 2009-06-24

a friend suggested adding a little iodine to the drinking water, has anyone else heard of this

tail pecking remedies Comments By: Mags on 2009-08-04

I have been advised to use Vaseline, a liberal amount. Someone else told me to use Stockholm Tar, but I think that sounds a bit drastic. I look forward to trying the vinegar which I will put in a separate container so they have access to ordinary water as well. I would like to know why the vinegar works.

Chickens pecking to death Comments By: Spencer on 2009-08-04

I had about 25 adult chickens and they were doing fine. Then i bought about 80 chicks and put them in a seperate shed. The younger 80 were picking eachother to death. We put the younger ones with the older ones after they got to be about the same weight and size so they would have more room in the bigger shed. The pecking keeps going on with the younger ones. They still kill eachother and they are suppost to be laying soon, but they keep dying. What should I do? Please help me!

TipKing says: Oh my goodness I am so sorry that you are going through this. Chickens can be so cruel. I can only offer the advice that is on these pages. Sorry not to be anymore help

Vinegar Comments By: Spencer on 2009-08-06

I have a question about the vinegar. What does it do to make the chickens stop picking each other?

question Comments By: me on 2009-08-26

why is vinegar helpful?? if never says. we have seven chickens in out backyard and one is gettng badly beat up by the other chickens. we are going to try washers and a flock block and maybe take out the tough chickens and of course vinegar and see how that goes.. but i do not want to seperate them

The reason vinegar works! Comments By: Calvin on 2009-09-08

The reason vinegar works is because the birds are having a vitamin deficiency and vinegar has almost all the vitamins they need. There are also vitamins you can get from most feed stores but much more expensive and yes a tea spoon full to a gallon of water is all you need!

Vaseline Comments By: Mags on 2009-09-14

I used the vaseline for 3 consecutive nights, and it worked! She stopped pecking her tail and her rival for leadership stopped pecking her too. Apparently they don't like it gungeing up their beaks. She looked a bit scruffy for a while, but now her tail is growing back nicely. She is now bottom in the pecking order, but seems quite happy with that.

CHICKENS PICKING Comments By: Shirley on 2009-10-07

If one Chicken is picking the rest I sove that problem very Quick.Its called a AX and dinner My dad raised 10s of thousands of chickens for Companys that use them to sell in stories for food in his life time.The Ax works every time no waiting .

pecking Comments By: Anon on 2009-10-07

i have about 13 chickens, they peck eachother till they bleed, then the one thats the worst off dies. i've tried vinegar but it doesn't seem to work any suggestions?

i also have chickens - and the same problem Comments By: Anon on 2009-10-29

I have had my 6 chickens around a year now, but this problem is relatively new I have 2 chickens worse than the others. I have tried spraying there "bald" areas with stockholm tar so the feathers will not taste nice but this has not worked. I am willing to try vinegar but I am not sure on how exactly it works... any other sugestions will be extremely useful thanx.

try beef fat Comments By: franky j on 2009-11-02

A great uncle who bred chickens all his life said the hens peck feathers for the fat content in the quill. Ihave just hung a chunk of fat in the hen house as my hens have defeathered a couple of tails, they immediately ate some of the fat. I don't believe it is to do with pecking order in my hen house.

I REALLY NEED HELP!!! Comments By: brandon on 2009-12-05

My brother went outside to check on our seven chickens and he noticed that they were attacking one of them. they pecked it so badly that it has lost more than half of its feathers. I really need to know how to stop this before they kill eachother. please help!!!

Try Scarper anti peck spray Comments By: simon on 2009-12-11

Scaper anti peck spray is designed for this situation.
http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Scarper_anti_peck_spray.html

My two roosters are attacking just one hen out of 12! Help!!! Comments By: Kataryna Barringer on 2010-02-04

I have 14 chickens and in that are two roosters. They are all good w each other, but they attack just one hen. I have tried a blue lotion spray for her neck bleeding areas, but she is so afraid that i have to hand feed her. She is fine w the hens is the roosters that the moment they see her the attack only her. HELP, and does any one know why?

stop them chickens from eaten each other Comments By: Smittysmith on 2010-02-24

Iam from south Louisiana and dats what we do here is raise them chickens . To stop this from happen you need to put crawfish heads after the boil or crabs they need something to peck at that's what is wrong wit dem

How does the vinagar help?? and why do they do it? Comments By: Fredie jess on 2010-03-02

one of my 8 chickens has had a very bad peck on its back and i think the other chickens pecked it and it was bleeding how do i save it??????

TipKing says: You may have to seperate it and gradually allow it back in the fold

Pecking Me !! Comments By: harrised on 2010-03-02

We have just got some 4 sussex and to rhode red pullets, they have intergrated into the flock of silkies and belgiums fine but they constantly peck at the back of our legs when they see us, one is starting to fly up at us. they have a large range to peck around in, do you think it would help to contain them to a smaller area. first new blood I've brought in for 20 yrs, hate to see them headless. they only occasionaly peck each other.

How do i stop my to hens from pecking each other?? Comments By: Lissa:) on 2010-03-21

I have 7 hens about 8 months old. 2 road island reds 2 easter eggers, 2 austrolorps and 1 plymouth rock. i had another plymouth rock but she died about a month ago. She was sort of "the head" of all the other chickens. Ive noticed the 2 road island reds are like attacking the easter egger and she fights back. They like stare at each other for a few seconds the start jusmping on each other and pecking. I thought since the Plymouth rock hen (the"leader") died then they may be trying to re-establish there pecking order. ( ranked in toughness) they are not constantly fighting... just when they get real close to each other. I dont want them to hurt each other but a lot of chicken owners are telling me to let them figure out THEMSELVES who is tougher. plz help im not sure if i should just let them go through it. or i should try to stop it. I guess thins is what they do in nature though.

TipKing says:I know it is cruel to watch but they will sort it out. Sorry you are going through this.

hen pecking Comments By: Anthony on 2010-03-23

i use vicks vapo rub or mentholatum on the area they are being picked at they hate that taste.... i clean the area with alcohol first then apply....i do this for about 3 days

tipking not helping you all Comments By: kathy on 2010-03-23

My guess is that the vinegar is not going to work. Rhode Island Reds are a breed that are prone to cannibalism. Some larger farms put a pinch of salt into a gallon of water. The lady that integrated 80 new small birds into the flock. That was a no-no. Chickens are social creatures and don't accept new members. It can be done with risk by putting a fence between them so they see each other for weeks and then slowly introduce a few at a time to the original flock.
Also, check local feed store for a spray that goes on feathers so they don't pull out feathers on each other.

the claim to vinegar is Comments By: rooky chicken man on 2010-03-23

The claim to vinegar is It's supposed to be high in vitamins good for the chickens and has a high acid content which is supposed to make life miserable for the worms they may have in ttheir digestive system

save Spencer's chickens Comments By: Brian on 2010-03-26

if you have more than 20 birds you gotta split them up to stop them from killing each other

Iodine Comments By: Lyn on 2010-04-11

Has anyone heard of iodine to prevent pecking of other chickens?

Pecking Comments By: Anon on 2010-04-17

I have 6 chickens and they are all healthy, except there is one who the others keep pecking at. they peck at his feet and they have pecked parts of his feet to the bone. i have covered up the wounds so there is no blood showing but the others still peck at his feet. what can i do?

A LOT OF INFO Comments By: krbarron on 2010-04-17

I have 15 isa browns and one rooster. the rooster's comb is black and scabby and his chest has been picked clean at times. Introduced new chickens when they were same size and weight and there is a natural order that works itself out. However, some of the younger girls have sparse tail feathers and bought a commercial lotion from the hatchery instead of pine tar which i tried and it was messy, sticky as heck and didn't cover the whole area as some if it was feathered slightly. Their heads behind their comb is plucked short and bare skin is visible which I assumeis due to the rooster securing (biting) them when he is doing his business. For the most part they don't seem to mind but in the spring as now we let them free range and I really think it is a boredom factor that leads birds to do this that haven't done it before. Providing hanging things in their coop or run will give them things to do. I have often hung a cabbage from a string and it takes them a full day to peck it to death. It is hard and compact which takes them awhile to get into it. Just like the rest of us they need stimulation.

Unsure if conditions are causing the pecking Comments By: Sunshine on 2010-04-21

I have 7-8 chickens and 1 or 2 possible roosters.I've had them for 3wks saturday.We bought a chik-n-hutch for them.Don't know if the pen is overcrowded at this age of 3 wks or if the dogs running over to the cages are causing them to be freakin out and trampling one another? Anyone know if this is a cause for the pecking or killing of each other?

feather pecking Comments By: jackyjumpa on 2010-04-27

I have some 12 week old silkies and aracauna chicks and about 3 of the aracauna were constantly pecking the tail feathers of 1 silkie,i felt so sorry for the poor little thing and tried buying sprays to stop them but nothing worked.in the end i put some VIC chest ointment/gel over her rear end, quite messy, but it worked a treat, the others chicks hated the taste!!

Seperate her Comments By: Anon on 2010-04-29

Ive had a hen that was being pecked on sooo bad. I seperated her and put her in a box. When her feathers were growen back I added her to the flock at night. (make sure its dark so the other chickens dont see) Now shes doing fine, good luck!

chicken pecking herself Comments By: Barbara on 2010-05-23

How can i stop my chicken from pecking herself? Her crop got injured( possibly by one of my dogs, not sure)now she keeps pecking herself and makes it bleed a lot. I have seperated her from my other 4 and taped a piece of cardboard round her neck to try and stop her from reaching down to the wound but need to know of something to put on to make it heal. I bathed it with mikd salt water a couple of times. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

My chooks peck Comments By: Grace on 2010-05-24

Hello,my name is Grace and i am 11.I have 5 chooks.I am worried about one inparticular that seems to always get pecked on the neck.Her neck is very sore looking and red. There is no roosters in the pen with them.What can I do?

dont know what to do HELP!! Comments By: jess on 2010-06-02

I have 7 chickens and recently just got 3 more. i waited till the three small ones got there feathers and got a little bit bigger before i put them out with the others. well i put the little ones out with the big chickens and they kept picking on my road island red but not the others. (kinda strange) and a week went by at they seemed to be getting along till this morning i went out and my red was all bloody and its skin was missing from the back of its head. now i removed the small ones and put them in a kennel what should i do in the mean time for the hurt chick?

Stop chickens from pecking each other Comments By: Kathy on 2010-06-07

My father-in-law once told me to kill and skin a rabbit and hang in the chicken house. He said they need tankage. I've noticed my hens really go after fish cleaning scraps too. When I put new pullets with my hens, I always do it at night so they wake up together. They seem to accept each other much more readily.

Good Grief Comments By: Brenda on 2010-06-15

I am a city girl who moved to the country. I bought 25 chickens that were a pullet mix. I have 1 rooster. Some of my chickens starting pecking others feathers out so I did some research. I have tried using pine tar, Blue Kote and vinegar in water. I have a large coop with a nice outside area and I hung cabbage in the coop for them to peck.I even had a water additive from the hatchery that had electrolytes and minerals to help . Nothing worked so I tried separation but the ones I removed from the original flock kept pecking each other to death. I had to eventually kill the separated birds because they were killing each other. I have now 13 americaunas. The ones that were killed were White leghorns, Mottled Leghorns and Rhode Island Red. When I talked to a bird vet she said those birds were a more aggressive breed. Now my chickens are happy and healthy.

apple cider vinegar is good for health Comments By: sarah green on 2010-06-19

I raise chicks from January through to September. Low light level helps reduce feather pecking but vinegar only promotes good health. I have used most spray deterrents but none really stop the urge to feather peck. I am going to try vasiline or vic next.

bare backs Comments By: pam on 2010-07-10

I think my hens started pecking the others back feathers out because I was tossing hen scratch and they ran under and got it on them and the others decided to clean them off. Not sure though.

I have seen new growth but either they or others are removing as soon as it appears.

I heard that some have used iodine and was wondering if there is a certain solution to be used. I read about this in Backyard Poultry magazine.

vinegar makes us all acidic Comments By: Heather on 2010-07-11

Vinegar might be the answer. Horse riders add a little vinegar to the horses' drinking water to make the horse less attractive to flies.Try a tablespoon of vinegar daily yourself to cure all sorts of ailments; hot flushes, IBS,weight gain, etc. Try vinegar in the chicken's water and she might not taste quite so good to her sisters.

help Comments By: nikki murphy on 2010-07-16

i have 3 rhonde island chickens only had them 2 weeks and then bought some small chickens lavender aruacarna, barnvielder,moran,and the baton a week later, as soon as i introduced then to the run and coupe the rhonde island started attacking the smaller chicks and even to a point where the 3 rhondes ganged up on 1 of the smaller chicks.I have now separted them but if the small chickens go anywhere near the wire devider the rhondes still try and peck them through it...Has anyone got any ideas how i can stop the rhodes from attacking the smaller chicks and will they ever be able to be put together.

chicken pecking Comments By: Sheila D on 2010-07-20

Apple Cider Vinegar, the rough kind from the animal feeds store is the best one to give them. You find it in the horse feed department. Just put a teaspoon per 4 birds or so, in their water, the amount is not too crucial. It acts as a tonic, calms them a little and deters worms. Tie up old CD's and dangle from the roof of the outside run. Same with cabbages dangled from the roof. Get a solid peck block and hang that up too to keep them occupied - the kind with molasses and seeds in. They last well. Make sure the run is big enough with quiet spaces and perches away from the others for the weak ones to go and rest. If their skin is not pecked sore or broken, spray with anti-peck spray. Small injuries spray with purple spray from the pet shop. Big injuries, take to vet for antibiotics, and spray each morning with calendula diluted in luke warm water. It heals the skin.

old chicken biting the new one Comments By: Sophie on 2010-09-02

i had 2 hybrid chickens that i have had from eggs so watched them grow up and have tamed them so they didnt mind being picked up. last week one of them sadly died and the other one looks a bit lonely. yesterday i brought a new chicken that is only 4 months old and the old one is 3 years(big age difference). we left the old chicken outside the pen whilst the new one got used to the coop and they could see each other and were fine. later on we put them together and the old one was trying to peck at her face :S we have now seperated them to prevent injury what can i do to get them more friendlly . PLEASE HELP OR I WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE NEW ONE BACK

TipKing says: I was watching a tv program about this and it is the old on just wanting to be boss. As long as the new bird is not getting hurt just sit close by and let then sort it out. I know it is hard.

Vinegar? Comments By: Jamie on 2010-09-20

I was told that chickens won't drink water if it has an odd smell. Vinegar makes the water smell odd. My alpha hen is pecking at my rooster and he just sits there and lets her do it. Occasionally he will give her a small peck. One of the times I saw her actually pull a feather of his out and she ate it. The back of his neck is getting thinner and thinner. I just recently treated the flock for lice because he had lice when I adopted him and didn't realized it until he was with my flock for a couple weeks. None of my girls had lice but I treated them anyway. When it came time to retreat, I found no lice on him only eggs so I redusted him and not the girls. I don't want to stress them out for nothing. Maybe she is pecking at him because of the dusting???? Anyone???

Introducing a new chicken Comments By: Jamie on 2010-09-20

I would suggest sectioning off a small area in your chicken enclosure w/ chicken wire and putting the new chickens in there with food and water for a few hours so that the other chickens are able to see them inside their territory. I did this when introducing my rooster ( i know that is different then introducing a hen). It gave everyone a chance to peck through the wire and once things looked calm I let my rooster out. He had it out with my alpha hen but that didn't last too long. The alpha hen is going to have to show the little girl who is boss. As a general rule, most established flocks don't like new hens to be introduced but it can be done. Just keep an eye on them until you feel everyone has calmed down. Good luck.

chicken attacking ME Comments By: D. Davis on 2010-10-09

We have (7) 1.5 year-old chickens and (4) .5 year-olds. One of the newer hens has started attacking me! She's acting like a very territorial ROOSTER and she used to be the sweetest one of the bunch. Why??? And, what can I do about it?

Separate or bring out the axe! Comments By: RJ on 2010-10-20

Having introduced new birds to my small flock over the years, I've found seperating the oldies and letting the newies have the run of the pen for a while works a treat. Failing that, I bring out the axe and leave it in the block where the chickens can see it. The oldies know what this is all about and settle down accordingly. I call it 'the silence of the chickens ...' (only works of course if you've had reason to behead a few in their prescence in the past).

Bullying in the hen house Comments By: Shirley on 2010-10-23

I have eighteen chickens, 6 rhode island red, 6 white ? and 6 bantams plus a cockeral. They were all fine until I recently introduced 4 new rhode island reds and have now started bullying the bantams. They o not let them get near the food bowls and constantly peck at them and chase them into a particular corner of the enclosure. They have a large hen house and enclosure and I do not believe they are sorting out a pecking order as the bantams have always been the quietest of the hens.

One more thing about pecking... Comments By: Nancy on 2010-11-03

I just wanted to add one more thing to the comment I sent in the other day: I also give my hens a little chicken scratch each day, sprinkling it on the ground. They LOVE it! It keeps them scratching about, and greatly alleviates boredom.

Chickens and pecking Comments By: Nancy on 2010-10-31

Chickens have a need to sort out their pecking order and determine who's boss. That is the way of chickens. It happens whenever new chickens are introduced whether they are pullets or grown birds. It usually lasts only a short time, a week or two. Then everything will get back to normal.
If they are pecking for some other reason, then be sure you are feeding them a good quality feed (such as Layena); it usually have the nutrients that chickens need. Feeding them a good commercial feed, I have never had a pecking problem in 20 years, except for establishing the pecking order. When introducing new pullets, I put them into the henhouse in a cage where they can all see and get used to each other for a few days before I incorporate them into the flock. Then they STILL have to go through the pecking order after that. But I would NEVER kill my birds in front of the other birds, I think that is cruel. Imagine how nervous they would get and might even stop laying for awhile. I don't want my hens to be afraid of me.

chickens pecking feathers Comments By: doug brewer on 2010-11-15

cut the top beak about a quarter inch then they can't hold the feather works for me

chickens mating Comments By: chris fox on 2010-11-27

how do you stop chickens mating

Vinegar Comments By: Mooky on 2010-12-03

How does vinegar, in the water stop the chickens from pecking EACH OTHER?

!!!!HELP!!!! Comments By: Brianna Murray on 2010-12-03

I HAVE 6 CHICKENS AND THEY ALL PICK ON 1 HEN! I HAVE TRIED SEPARATING HER FOR A BIT, BUT WHEN I PUT HER BACK IN THEY STILL GET HER! i HAVE ALSO SPRAYED VINEGAR ON ALL OF THEM, BUT THEY STILL PECK HER! THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE CAUSED HER IS: BLLEDING ON THE LEG AND ON THE COMB!WHAT SHOULD I DO THEY WILL END UP KILLING HER! PLZ HELP ME!

help Comments By: ryan on 2010-12-12

i have 20 hens its dec got them in march from the same person no problems till now but the chase and peck each other now y is this what can i do

stop pecking Comments By: Joy-Elaine on 2010-12-10

I put Vicks vapour rub ( or store own brand ) on the pecked chicken, it works wonders as the others do not like the menthol smell or the vaseline base. Works like a dream.
Keep it up for about a week.

One way to Stop !! Comments By: Alyx.P from TX.USA on 2010-12-16

Vision Block ( Chicken Eye Vision Block )
pack of 50 only $32 .. best working !!
http://www.cconly.com/chicken_supplies/health_care

The vinegar Comments By: The chickenator !!!! on 2010-12-29

I'm deaperate I came back from holiday and my step sister had been looking after them and two have been pecked and the feathers are going. What sort of vinegar do I use?? Please help me !!!!!!

Pecking chickens Comments By: Ian Ross on 2010-12-29

Years ago I had this problems and solved it by giving them meatmeal, now this is in Australia and I don't know if it is still available and what it would be called in America. It's a lack of vitamins and this solved the problem so you could try to look for something similar. The layers pellets are supposed to contain the ingredients to supplement this but unfortunately do not. Worms could work but I have never tried this. Good Luck

chicken Comments By: liz on 2011-01-08

my moter has several chickens. the problem is that they start to peck each other and some have actually killed some and i guess some might have even some of the dead chicken because the dead one is in bad shape.

is there anything you suggest to stop this? is vinegar goin to work or do i just get new chickens?

how to stop the bully in the pen Comments By: ed cac on 2011-01-15

we have 6 road island reds and one little batan called silkey i have watched this one red pick on the batan and pull feathers from her chest and go out of her way to do so. what you do is capture the bully and put her in a small animal trap for a few days it should be small enough that she can barely turn around if at all but MUST be low enough that she cannot lift her head higher than her back.now tie the whole thing abot three feet off the ground this way every times she moves the cage will sway back and forth, they dont like looking at the ground sway so she will sit still. the area should be dimly lit and away from the rest. 2 days without food and water wont kill basicly you are putting her in "time out" and making her "stay in her room" after having her head down for a few days when you let her out she will sort of stay that way and by now another chicken has become the domonate one and you have basicily "broke" the bully .Ps i read thes in a book about rasing chickens

bald hens Comments By: peter on 2011-01-16

i have six hens who were pecking their own feathers and the other birds,until they were bald, i tried everything spays ,potions ,gells etc no change, out of frustration i bought some beak clips £2.99 off e-bay,i fit them myself within ten minutes this included catching them all.i now have hens with feathers they look great,hope this can help others to save money

CHICKEN DISASTER Comments By: Anon on 2011-01-18

I have a black chicken named Friday and she is getting picked on by all the other hens (6) right now she is in our basement being taken care of but i don't know what to do to prevent her bleeding or getting killed she might have a disease but the other chickens aren't helping at all!!!!!!

Chickens peck chickens Comments By: Anon on 2011-01-27

In my farm(3 seperate coops)I have 55 chickens.I brought 3 chicks that already have shed their baby feathers to my daughter thats been saying over the weeks that the 2other chicks were pecking this 1 chick.Its been going on for 2 weeks already.I really want it to stop for it makes my little girl sad.

Chickens Comments By: anon on 2011-02-15

i put my chicken in the pen with the rest of my chickens wich ic 3 other ones and came home from school to let them out and it was bleeding like crazy and i dont now what to do im a beginner and im 12 please help me?

.Hens feather pecking one hen Comments By: James Todd on 2011-03-11

One of my hens was getting feather pecked by my other hens dureing the very cold winter we had I tried all types of treatment to try and stop this such as feather pecking spray vinegar and mustard but they still did it So put beak bits in their mouths fixed to their nostrels after a month of this it has worked as now have taken beak bits from hens I now have a grain block you can hang up in the henhouse also plenty greens hanging up for them to pick at.Now am pleased to say all is well wth my hens.

why fully grown chickens peck eacth other Comments By: dan line on 2011-03-19

it is because they are not being well taken care of and they are not getting enough vitamins from there owners so get out there n buy some red cell n put it in there water or buy multi vitamins n force it down there mouth untill u see them look healthy den they will stop

IF USING LIQUID VICKS VAPORIZER BE CAREFUL! Comments By: R. Clawson on 2011-03-26

If using vicks liquid vaporizor please, please wear protective eye glasses or goggles. I used the liquid and poured a little on the bald spots on my chickens they started flapping their wings, in essence "I" got sprayed in the face and eyes... Immediately I poured cold water on my face and eyes... I then allowed the cold water from my shower to stream over my face and eyes for about 15 to 20 minutes.. So a very important lesson learned, please be careful!!

Pecking feet Comments By: Stephenkim on 2011-04-03

We have 2 chickens and one has started to peck the feet of the other. Has anyone else experienced this and do you have any tips ?

Thanks

Thanks for the info :) Comments By: Carla on 2011-04-10

Thank you to everyone who commented on the pecking problem. I found it to be very useful. I have 17 chicks around 1 month old and just today they started peckin each other. I was terrified beings I am a new chicken owner. I have seperated the "bigger" ones from the "pecked ones" and will try the vinegar and the vaseline..thank you all again for the help :)

bad chikens Comments By: anon on 2011-04-21

we have 37 chickens they where in a small pen know they are in a big coupe and they have started to peck each other and they have killed one, what can i do about it

Stop-pick Comments By: Ccatts on 2011-05-10

You can buy Stop-pick and put it on their butts. I take A jar of petroleum jelly, a tbsp of iodine, a tsp of gentian violet, a 1/2 cup aloe gel and 1 tbsp cayanne powder. blend that together and spread it on the chickens rear or where ever they are being pecked. I put it on around 4 birds for every 12 birds. They really dont like it at all. It seems to work as my litte red they hed bleeding is still alive and doing well after a couple of weeks now. Good luck.

Stop chickens from pecking each other Comments By: Allan on 2011-04-30

My young rooster was being pecked badly on his rear end and losing feathers; I put a good "glob" of Vic's salve on that area and 3 different hens pecked him BUT got a taste and left him alone. It's only been 1 day but I think it'll work.

pecking chickens Comments By: DanO on 2011-05-13

I have raised chickens for many years and when i have chickens pecking I put vicks vapor rub on the bleeding chicken and this stops them from pecking that chicken instantly.. but they will find the next in line and start pecking that chicken,, the vinegar in the water will eventually stop it all together when they get the vitamins they need in there system, them you must maintain the proper vitamins to avoid them doing it again.. also the block helps to keep them occupied.

i dontr know what to do. Comments By: Kate on 2011-05-13

I need help i'm a 12 year old girl and have a pet chicken named Gizmo he is a sweet heart i raised him since he was a week old i brought him to a chicken farm at the same size as the others but he is missing 9 out of 10 feathers and he is not happy anymore i need like something to put on it and i don't want to try vinager do you have any suggestions? i am in real danger of losing him and i want my old gizzie back.

scared hen Comments By: curious on 2011-05-14

i have one rooster and seven hens on a fenced in 20 by 30 yard with coop I have one rooster and seven hens why does one of my hens continually run and hide from the others.
this one hen is always coming up to me for pretection and lets me just pick it up

i have 2 year old chickens Comments By: ryan on 2011-05-23

i have 2 year old chickens they are brown road island reds and i have just brought a sussex white chicken and the brown chickens keep on goin for it what shall i do?

please write back Comments By: Ryan Dance on 2011-05-24

hi,i got 2 brown road island red chickens and the other day i got another chicken which is a white Sussex.the 2 brown road island reds keep on pecking the white sussex and i dont know what to do so can u give me some ideas of stopping this happen please,thanks.

My hens wont get along AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: Cecil Bailey on 2011-06-07

WE have a hen that we hae hadfor about a yar and i gt a new hen for free cause it was picke on by its flock so i get the hen out of the cage and next thing you o my hen starts pecking the new hen and the new hen starts chasing the other hen so i break thefight up and out of no were my new hen starts pecking our ducks and our pigs its getting crazy howdo i get the hens to be nice please help!

Chicks no longer pecking each other!!! Comments By: Diane on 2011-06-01

We have Buffs and Road Island Reds they are about 6 weeks old. We began giving them Corn on the cob with the shuck pulled back. At first they was scared of anything new in their pen. Now they love it. To start them on it I cut through a few rows of uncooked corn on the cob with a knife and they got a taste of the milk from the corn and pecked to their hearts content!!! I also gave them raw cauliflower and I held it while they pecked it. They love eating the silk from the corn shuck also. Needless to say they no longer peck each other!!!

bigger chickens are pecking the littler ones Comments By: erick on 2011-06-16

my bigger chickens are pecking the littler ones and 4 have died already because they are pecking them i tried to seperate them but it doesnt work so what should i do

Benny chciken Comments By: Chickenlover on 2011-07-21

Okay i just got a benny and its a hen and i placed it in the same coupe as my rhoade island red hen and rooster and a white silky rooster and a americana hen and they will not stop pecking my new benny and i really need to know what to do very very soon!!

Chicken pecking. Comments By: Jon on 2011-08-26

So I have 4 chickens and 3 of them team up against the younger one. They all go for the same spot which is like the place for the ear. It has caused a huge knot to form up and it is really red. What do I need to do to help the younger one.

help Comments By: adesanya on 2011-08-27

i have 58 cockerel chickens and i noticed that some of the famine ones in their midst looks dull and die after that what can i do please email me............cheers