How the heck do you install pinless peepers?

I got them, with the snap ring pliers, but there are no directions at all! And it's not really intuitive, since the snap ring pliers don't seem to be what I thought they were. Unless I am looking at them wrong, they don't really open up the peepers, at least not that much. Is it different when you heat them up in hot water? Do they open a lot easier that way with the pliers? I'm so confuzzled, and want to put these on the girls tonight if possible.

Also, do they bump into things with them on? Should I wait until the morning to do it or is the evening okay?

Bumping this up for you. I'd also like to know the answer to these questions.

This is really hard to describe in words, so bear with me.

You'll definitely need someone to hold the bird for you. It's not hard, but does take practice and there's no way I could have done it at first without someone to hold the bird. Now that I have practice, I can hold the bird with one hand and put on the peepers with the other.

OK, let's see. Put the snap ring pliers through the curved piece that goes over the top of the beak, so that you will come over the top of the head to apply the peepers. When you squeeze the pliers, they should stretch the curved bit slightly so that the pins separate. They won't separate much.

Come over the top of the chicken's head so that the peepers are positioned on either side of her nostrils and the pliers are over the top of her face with the handles pointing up. You're still squeezing the pliers at this point.

Place one pin in one nostril, make sure the other is positioned over the other nostril, and stop squeezing the pliers. The peepers will close into the nostrils. The chicken WILL hate this.

Pull the pliers up and out. Ideally, letting go of the pliers so the peepers close and pulling the pliers up and out should be one smooth motion.

The chicken will shake her head and other hens will peck at her peepers. They get over it.

Nothing worked for my feather plucking problem--it just got worse and worse--until I got the peepers. We use them in the winter when the hens don't want to go outside and get bored in the hen house and then take them off in the spring.

Good luck. It's hard to describe, but you'll get it.

thank you that helps a lot!!

Very clear, geat description.
Just a couple of questions...is it essential to have the pliers to put n peepers? How do you get them off in the spring and are they reusable?
Thank you.

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Let us know how it went for you.

I don't think the pliers are essential, but they sure are helpful. We didn't buy the super expensive ones that you can get from the same place you get the peepers, but just got some from Home Depot. Ours look like this, but were much cheaper: http://tinyurl.com/nmovv4

In the spring, just slide the pliers down over the chicken's face with the handles up and NOT squeezing the handles. Get the pliers inside the curved part of the peepers and squeeze the handles. The peepers will stretch and you can take them off. Takes only seconds.

We break some by over stretching them to get them off, but most are reusable for next winter.

ETA if you don't want to get the pliers, you probably could use one hand on each side of the peepers to stretch them open and then let them close into the nostrils. You'd definitely need a helper for that.

I am a new chicken owner (got 6 of them 3 weeks ago thursday) at Murray McMurrays. We got started pullets Barred rocks and they are beautiful. One became a bully, plucking everyones feathers so we decided they all were going to get peepers.

I held them in a towel while the hubby put them on with just his fingers. We softened the plastic with hot water and it worked great. One was a pain but after that first one it was seconds and they all had them on. We did not want to use the pliers because we were afraid we would hurt them. The hot water made it extremely easy. I know its 2014 put I seen this on here and wanted to put my thoughts on it. I love this site. Great information for us chicken people

amyclatt said:

I am a new chicken owner (got 6 of them 3 weeks ago thursday) at Murray McMurrays. We got started pullets Barred rocks and they are beautiful. One became a bully, plucking everyones feathers so we decided they all were going to get peepers.

I held them in a towel while the hubby put them on with just his fingers. We softened the plastic with hot water and it worked great. One was a pain but after that first one it was seconds and they all had them on. We did not want to use the pliers because we were afraid we would hurt them. The hot water made it extremely easy. I know its 2014 put I seen this on here and wanted to put my thoughts on it. I love this site. Great information for us chicken people

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Well, it's now 2015 and I am responding to you. LOL I'm glad you posted because I don't just have 1 bully to subdue but 5. I took in a stray hen that neighbors brought to me because they didn't know where she belonged and I am the only one in the neighborhood who keeps chickens. Needless to say, I couldn't refuse to take her; it is just too cold and she will freeze or get eaten by predators. I can tell she is healthy. She is clean, no lice or mites, well fed, eyes clear, eating, drinking, and cooing/clucking softly. She is also very sweet and timid. That is the problem because my 5 girls (especially my favorite hen) are pecking at her and running her off away from them. If the weather were a bit warmer I would just let nature take it's course and she would be the lowest on pecking order but I am too afraid she will freeze or they will starve her out. She is so frightened by them.

So I had an idea. My sister gave me a young rooster who is just beginning to get his spurs because I lost my Roo, Charlie, in the fall to a weasel. I was going to wait til Spring for the Roo, but he was getting beat up by my sister's other roosters and needed a new home now anyway. I figured if I put the Roo and new hen together in very large dog crate (our old German Shepherd's) in garage for a couple days (so they could bond) and then put them both in the coop at the same time, she might gain some protection with him. Didn't work out that way. He abandoned her and the girls accepted him. Now they all shun her and will run her off pecking at her. They have not drawn blood, but they are definitely not accepting her. So I bring her in in early evening so she can eat and stay warm at night.

Since it was not just one hen, I nearly dismissed the peepers until I saw that you put them on all your hens. So, I will give it a couple days to warm up so that she won't be in danger of freezing when I introduce her back in, but if they haven't accepted her in another week, then the 5 of them will get Peepers!!! Thanks so much for posting.