# Picking chick



## Rachellenrs74 (Mar 17, 2021)

I have a bantam chick that is insistent on picking her hind feathers. She is bleeding and I have gotten all the medicine the anti-pick and the antibacterial spray and she still won't leave her butt alone. I've separated her from the rest of them now she's depressed and just sits in the corner shivering has anybody ever encountered this? What do I do I don't know what to do with her.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How old?

You've actually witnessed the chick self mutilating? I'd be very suspicious the peep got this going. Chances are it came from one of the others. 

How much space do they have and the number of birds in that space? 

Have you checked for mites?

I'm not surprised the chick is depressed, they don't like not being with their own kind.


----------



## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*Chicks will pick at red and mutilate each other picking at blood. Cannibalism can happen if something isn't done. Use a red light bulb in your heat lamp. This will help whether it is another chick doing the damage or the chick itself. The red light will make everything red and the chicks will not be drawn by the sight of blood. Use Blu-kote on the wounds.*


----------



## Rachellenrs74 (Mar 17, 2021)

They are in a chicken coop big enough for six full.grown hens. Yes I've witnessed her picking herself. She had paste but about 3 weeks in and I cleaned it off and ever since then she has been picking. She has blood around her beak and none of the other chicks do just her I've watched her pick herself until she's bloody I don't know what to do for her. She is confined into her own little space now and very depressed. Is she a lost cause. I've raised many chicks and this is the first time this has ever happened.


danathome said:


> *Chicks will pick at red and mutilate each other picking at blood. Cannibalism can happen if something isn't done. Use a red light bulb in your heat lamp. This will help whether it is another chick doing the damage or the chick itself. The red light will make everything red and the chicks will not be drawn by the sight of blood. Use Blu-kote on the wounds.*


The heat lamp is red. She is very small I've had them about a month and she hasnt grown much at all. Now her butt looks infected and she has pasty butt again this morning. I just don't know how to help her.


----------



## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*Consider using the Blu-kote. I hesitate to recommend this as I get so much flack about it. When I have a chick who has a butt like that with an obvious infection I put the chick on broad-spectrum antibiotics. The treatment is usually effective..*


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, put some Blu Kote on the area. It also has antibacterial properties. 

Peep has a light for warmth? The shivering does signal it's running a fever and probably would benefit from the oral antibiotics. 

Have you considered cocci? Peep is too young for just about any other internal parasite.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Welcome to the forum! Sorry about your situation, I would definitely try some Blu Kote.


----------



## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

This is not about picking at herself but I do not know where to put this. There have been so many problems concerning my sweet little black Australorp. At 23 weeks old she finally laid an egg. She laid several bad eggs but now they are all good.. She has been the object of hate for every other chicken that we have. One she laid it stopped for a few days but now they all hate her again and pick at her constantly. She even wants me to stay with her when she lays as they have tried to prevent her from laying in any box. She now has her own that none of the others will use. My new little Bantam Rooster sweet as can be hates her and treats her terribly. He fought her bad yesterday afternoon. I had to use a water gun to make him stop. Today as usual when he digs up food, he calls all the hens to come get some. He again ran her off and wouldn't let her have any. They are all so mean to her constantly. Should I rehome her? I don't want to as she is so sweet and I love her. What else can I do. Should I add new chickens? I am at my wits end. PLEASE somebody help me.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We've tried, several times. You need to find who starts the bullying and pull that bird out and keep it completely away from the others for a week at least. 

Or rehome her. If you love her that much then you want what's best for her.


----------



## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

robin416 said:


> We've tried, several times. You need to find who starts the bullying and pull that bird out and keep it completely away from the others for a week at least.
> 
> Or rehome her. If you love her that much then you want what's best for her.


I have a pet cam in the coop and 1 in the run. I spend literally several hours a day with these chickens. When they are in the big yard, I stay with them for 3 hours each day to protect them from hawks. That is the problem. There is no ring leader. I watch and they all pick at her equally. My little rooster was kept separate for 3 weeks when I first got him. He picked at her from his first encounter with her. He attacked her yesterday terribly just because she got beside him. I know there is a pecking order. I have separated her and she screams and sqwaks and refuses to eat. She WANTS to be with them. The ring leader changes each day. I have started using a water gun and they will leave her alone when I am there but start back as soon as they think I am not looking. She will not fight back. She is such a sweet loving chicken.


----------



## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

I’m sorry she has never been able to overcome this. 
If everyone else does ok and it really is just her being left in the cold, you can do 2 things, and they’re the only effective things and you need to make the decision, we can only advise. 

I would rehome her. It sucks and it hurts to let our favorites go, but I agree, they’ve singled her out and aren’t likely to change their minds at this point. 

Your only other option is to get more chickens and create 2 separate flocks. It may be temporary or it may be permanent but you need to be prepared for either if you do this.


----------



## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

I found something that has solved my problem, a water pistol. I spent as much time as I could the other day with those chickens. Every time one of them pecked her or chased her away from food or did anything to her, I sprayed them good with water. After about half a day they got the message. She is still at the bottom of the pecking order and that is fine but the constant tormenting her has stopped. They are not buddy buddy with her but they leave her alone. She is not afraid to lay in the nest box now. They all peck at each other some but now hers is the normal and not the going over board with it. She bothers nobody and is too sweet for me to allow her to be treated so badly. This seems to have worked. chickens like other animals are not stupid and can learn. The last couple of days her life has been so much better


----------



## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Great news! I’m glad you found a way to get her settled in! Thank you for the update, I may have to employ that myself. 

My rooster was rehomed, and we had already had some minor issues, but he would step in sometimes. Now- poor Oink. She is submissive on top of submissive. I’m standing there and if she doesn’t expect me to move she immediately squats. Poor girl. Need more hens.  Oh darn.


----------



## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Overmountain1 said:


> Great news! I’m glad you found a way to get her settled in! Thank you for the update, I may have to employ that myself.
> 
> My rooster was rehomed, and we had already had some minor issues, but he would step in sometimes. Now- poor Oink. She is submissive on top of submissive. I’m standing there and if she doesn’t expect me to move she immediately squats. Poor girl. Need more hens.  Oh darn.


----------



## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

I was so frustrated as there was no ring leader. All but my Welsummer were guilty of being very cruel to her. My Welsummer would peck some but not like all the others. You can't isolate one chicken when you don't know who is the ring leader. The water gun was very effective. I leave one in the coop and one in the run. If I have the first one to try I just show the water gun and it stops immediately. Her life is so much better.


----------

