I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[FireTigeris]

Maybe I can try another trial and divide the pen instead of opening up to predator stress and extra errors- I'll need to wait till I need a new batch of Forco (the dogs taking up 2 teaspoons everyday this whole time- I can keep the new bucket for the chickens - maybe get some useful data I did have to return the fancy scale so I'll have to figure out how accurate I need mass (weight).

 

[azygous]

Okay. I just give up. I've tried everything, and now I have three more feather-pickers, and they're all giving the rooster a buzz-cut.

First it was Geobett, an eighteen-month old SS hen, who was working on Penrod's neck feathers. I installed pinless peepers on her a month ago, and I thought I had the problem curbed. But the roo's neck feathers kept getting whittled away. Today, I noticed his saddle feathers are beginning to disappear, and Geobett's two sisters, also eighteen-month old SS hens, were joining with Geobett, who's still sporting peepers, in eating Penrod's feathers.

He just stands still and permits them to have their way with him. I've tried squirting eucalyptus oil on his feathers, and it didn't help. My neighbor crocheted Penrod a lovely neck gator in a teal blue to compliment his gold and rust-colored feathers, and he was so miserable in it, I had to take it off.

So, the only thing left to do is kill the three culprits. No, I'm just kidding! I removed Penrod from the hens' pen, and he's now back in the rooster pen. I hated to do it, but I see no other alternative at this point. Perhaps a month or so away from his tormentors will cause them to forget about shaving his feathers, and he can return.

I'm afraid that now that Penrod's out of their reach, the three feather-pickers may turn on the other hens. I can only keep an eye out for this.

So to summarize everything I've tried to solve this feather-picking problem, for the benefit of late-comers to this thread who haven't read the entire twenty-two pages, I've tried upping their protein, flock blocks, hanging cabbages and jumbo carrots, installing pinless peepers on the culprits, Blu-kote, Rooster-booster, Forco pre-biotic supplement, and finally, a high protein feed with Forco added to it. And the flock has no shortage of space, so crowding is not an issue.

Oh, and Flo, the original feather-picker, is still in jail so she can't pick feathers off everyone's hides.

Like I said, I just give up.

 

[aart]

Change the things you can, accept the things you can't change, know the difference.<shrug> some things cannot be overcome or understood.

 

[azygous]

Thanks, aart. Sensible advice.

 

[FireTigeris]

My 9 year old hen- Production Red. - yes the same one that got stolen then returned. She's is in my poultry album many times to see her w/o Forco and with... (she survived, she wasn't out that day- and one of the ducks survived)

 

[ShakeragSusan]

In the last two weeks, my flock has developed a feather picking problem. They have been getting Forco since months before this began. I think I may have the reason it's happening with my flock.

I think it may be the pullet to cockerel ratio. My birds were all born April 30 last year and I think as the boys are growing up the ratio is becoming more of a problem. Does this sound crazy?

I have 17 birds, 3 cockerels and 14 pullets. They share a 10 X 12' henhouse with 6 guineas, but they all free range all but about 2 hours of daylight per day. Those two hours they have access to a 30 X 20' run. Many days, they are able to free range from about 7 a.m. until dark. I add some (maybe not enough?) Forco to their feed. Occasionally, I add apple cider vinegar to their water.

All but maybe two of my girls are picked on their backs. All my boys and all my guineas are fine.

Thoughts?

 

[azygous]

Have you actually observed the feather-picking as it's occurring? I mean, actually see one chicken stand there and yank feathers off a balding back?

How old are your cockerels? If they're over six months old, they're probably mounting hens every chance they get, wearing off the hens' back feathers as they grip the hen with their sharp claws. Their balance is horrible at this early age, also, so there's a lot of friction to the back feathers from slipping and sliding around.

Can you fashion a bachelor pen and keep the cockerels separate from the hens? I've had good luck keeping the cockerels from annoying the hens until they've matured more and grown into their hormones, say, at around two years old. There's an amazing difference between how much a two-year old roo bothers the girls and a six or seven-month old. And even if you want a fertile flock, the cockerels really aren't all that accurate at getting the job done.

On the other hand, if you've observed hens picking feathers from each other's backs, then you can't really blame it all on the cockerels.

I may have thrown up my hands in defeat over my feather-picking problems, but I haven't completely given up hope that my problem hens could somehow forget about their habit and reform sometime in the future. So for now, my strategy is segregating the abusers from the victims.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

No, I haven't seen the feathers being picked. I need to get another area chicken ready and put the boys in there for a bit and see if the girls start looking better. I hate to leave the separate for too long, as they are all used to free ranging and I know the girls would go rub it in that they were still able to go wherever they want.

The cockerels are about 10 months old. One of them I want to re-home anyway. He has scratched my 6 year old and 3 year old and my 2 year old niece, as well as attacking my legs a couple of times. He's pretty, but he needs somewhere else to live.

 

[Lacy Blues]

No, I haven't seen the feathers being picked. I need to get another area chicken ready and put the boys in there for a bit and see if the girls start looking better. I hate to leave the separate for too long, as they are all used to free ranging and I know the girls would go rub it in that they were still able to go wherever they want.

The cockerels are about 10 months old. One of them I want to re-home anyway. He has scratched my 6 year old and 3 year old and my 2 year old niece, as well as attacking my legs a couple of times. He's pretty, but he needs somewhere else to live.

It doesn't sound to me like you have too many roosters. The girls probably are the ones picking each other... that is what my experience has been anyway... hens are terrible that way!

The scratching/attacking rooster? Freezer camp sounds like a fantastic place for him to go and live. If he behaves that way with you where he has grown up, he'll doubtless continue and when he gets bigger, someone may actually get hurt. I hope the children are all ok and didn't suffer any injuries from him.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

No, the kids weren't really injured by Claude, the bad cockerel, but they are quite afraid to be out in the yard when he's around. He was supposed to be an EE pullet and was the ugliest chick with a bad limp. I really assumed he wouldn't make it. Then, he turned into a big, beautiful cockerel who is the lowest ranking fella in my flock. I don't know if I could put him in the freezer. . .

Anyone have any first time butchering tips for former vegetarians? ;-)