It seems like there are several people having issues with hens getting pecked so I thought I would post something brief.
New additions to a flock often get pecked, that's a whole other issue I'm not going to talk about here.
Assuming your flock has been a unit for a while, the most frequent reason for excessive pecking (pecking that leads to bald patches and/or bleeding) is too little space and boredom. Try and give your hens AT LEAST 12 square feet per bird (coop+run). The more space they have, the happier they will be. There are farms all over that keep them much more densely than this, and you will frequently see space recommendations much smaller than this, but those are generally not for a backyard setting. Remember that if you had to wander around a dirt patch all day with nothing to do and no fancy way to communicate you'd probably start fights too...
A second reason hens peck is a lack of protein. Hens need protein, especially molting hens. It takes a lot of protein to make all of those new feathers, if they aren't getting enough, they will start eating other hens' feathers to get it. If you ever see the chickens eating feathers, you can assume they'd like some more protein. Cut down on fruit/veggie treats and eliminate scratch feeds (although the corn-less scratch from the bulk organic order was about 14% protein... that's okay to give as a treat). No more than 10% of their total food intake for the day unless they are also getting extra protein somewhere as well. You can temporarily switch them back to a higher protein feed like chick starter and supplement it with free-choice oyster shells for birds that are currently laying.
Finally, anecdotally, my experience has been that red chickens (RIRs, sex links etc) tend to be more aggressive and likely to peck. This has no scientific reasoning, just observation, and the recent posts seem to agree with this as well. Just a thought, do with it what you will.
I hope this quick note helps some of you that may be experiencing this.
Replies
I have 4 hens that I've raised since chicks and are now about 3 months old. One is what the Stock Shop called a Production Red, which they said is a cross between a RIR and leghorn, and she is definitely of a pecker and seems to be trying to establish her dominance over the others. This began about 3 weeks ago. She hasn't caused any injuries, and otherwise they all get along fine. However, about 2 weeks ago, one of the other hens got hurt (her feet got trapped/broken when we moved a shed) and we separated her from the rest while she healed. She's recovered enough now to walk some, so I put her outside to spend time with the other hens and get exercise. Immediately after I put her on the ground, the Production Red attacked her, jumping on her back and pecking her. The PR's neck feathers were standing out and she was VERY aggressive! The other 2 hens didn't have this reaction, so we cooped the PR up so she wouldn't attack again. Has the PR forgotten the other hen so quickly that I have to slowly reintroduce her back into the flock? If so, what's the best way to do this? Or could it be that the PR sensed the other hen was still not fully recovered and was picking on her because she was weaker?
Having an aggressive production red is not an uncommon complaint, unfortunately.
Two weeks is definitely long enough for her to have to be re-introduced to the flock; it can happen after just a couple of days. The fact that she is visibly weak adds fuel to the fire. Sometimes removing the aggressive bird for a few days is enough to take her down a notch. If it were me, that would be the first thing I would try as long as the other birds are being friendly to the hurt one. Good luck and let us know how it works out!
We separated the aggressive PR for a day and now everything seems to be fine. Thanks for the advice.
Rachel, Thanks for the information! You speak about boredom...how can I change this up, especially for one aggressive 9 wk ole RIR. I have the appropriate space for them. One americauna is down to 2 tail feathers this morning.
Thanks for the information!!
I have some 3-4 week old chicks (3 Americana's) that have bald spots down there back on there spine. I think it is pecking??? Or is it something else? My Barred Rocks (I got 3 of them) will pick at us when we put our hands in to change the food/water. They are in a 40 gallon tote. Besides getting some Rooster Booster at the feed store tomorrow what else should I do?