Advice re pecking

[SusanH]

Sigh. I know this isn’t anything unusual, but its the first for me, and I don't remember what the wisdom was. I have a Polish crested chicken that will soon not be crested. The mean girls have pecked her nearly bald and today there was even a little blood. She stands her ground. Tonight i watched Millie (polish) and Mercedes (wyandotte) get up on the top roost, and Mercedes began to peck viciously at her head, but she didn't budge. It’s so sad. The tonsure has been expanding day by day.

Any ideas? Do i need to separate them? I don't know how i would do that. I could keep Millie in a mini coop by herself, but that seems harsh, with spring coming, and if her crest feathers grow back, then what? Would going back to the flock even be an option? Sorry to ask such a lame old question, but there you are.

Thanks for any help.

[Jaye]

I think if you decide that the best solution is to separate them, then separate the perpetrator, not the victim.
I know that many on this site have had very good results with pinless peepers. Not sure where to source them, but maybe someone else can give suggestions, or if you do a search on this site for pinless peepers you will find more info on them. Good luck!

[Farrier1987]

Also, is this happening during the day, all day? If its only on the perch, separate them at night. Dog kennel or something.

[Ontario Chick]

I have used the pinless peepers @Jaye mentioned, when flock of hens were going to take apart their lovely rooter, who stood there like a lump. It was a very temporary solution just until his comb healed, not really anything that can be used permanently.
With the Ameraucanas it was the same problem, the rooster would start out the season with beautiful beard and then I watched the hens lovingly strip it, while he was just letting them do it.
Some of it may be caused by boredom, but more likely it starts because the feathers are wet from drinking, that gets their attention and then it's just fun.
Short of making her a lovely bonnet, probably not much you can do, separating and then recombining the birds, brings with it other problems

[Killerbunny]

Poor Frank has his legs plucked every winter!

[kenya]

With any crested breeds they do better alone, sad but the other birds pick on them.

[Ontario Chick]

With any crested breeds they do better alone, sad but the other birds pick on them.

It's a bit like high school

[kenya]

The crest will grow back but they will just pluck it again, get another friend for her and do social isolation. Maybe a couple bantams to keep her company.

[SusanH]

Ok. I do have a friend for her, Nanette, another Polish crested who doesn’t get picked on. They could be roomies in a separate pen, but I would need to build it. She is walking around naked anyway, looking like a supermarket chicken walking at the back, having decided their huge fenced yard wasn't big enough and gone exploring, just in time to get chased and caught by the dogs. At least this time they didn't shake her to death, just pinned her down and ripped out feathers before i got her away from them. Poor Nanette. I thought she was a goner but I put her under my coat and held her while I did some knitting for a while. I felt her little heart pounding wildly (or was that mine) and then gradually slowing, and she stopped gasping. I put her in a cat carrier in the dark. The next time I checked on her, she had laid an egg, and the next morning I set her back out and she seems fine.

I think they would be a good pair. Both have interesting personalities.i would get more Polish in a heartbeat. Sleeping in trees and jumping on my lap and butting me with their crests. Whats not to like.

I am intrigued by the idea of a bonnet. I did try putting neosporin on Millie’s head and binding the remaining feathers up in a ponytail, but she scratched it right off. I might try tape instead of hair elastic.

I could isolate the perpetrators, but they are big fat Wyandottes that would never fit in my isolation coop. The polish girls are petite and dainty enough to share it. The other three chickens will be going back to their snowbird mom now that she is home, so I’ll be back to two Polish and two Wyandottes and two ducks. There is lots of room. I would hate to have to split them up.

Now I will go look at the peepers. Intrigued to learn what they are!

[SusanH]

I forgot to say thank you all for your wise advice as always!