Pinless peepers and combs

[Noble Rooster]

I may need to put pinless peepers on a hen who is especially aggressive towards our lowest-ranked flock member. I was looking at her face today and the way her comb is shaped, it almost seems like the peepers wouldn't fit over it or would put too much pressure on it. Just curious if people have used peepers on chickens with relatively large combs and how it has worked, or if folks could please post a few pictures of what they've done? Thanks in advance!

 

[Debbiedodo]

We have used the pinless peepers on quite a few of our flock due to feather picking. The peepers do help. It takes two people to put them on. A few of our girls just couldn't function with them on but most of them forget they are there after a bit. The comb just folds over a little where the peeper sits. It does not smash the comb.

 

[Noble Rooster]

Thank you very much, Debbiedodo (love your user name, BTW!). The photo is super helpful. The barred rock in the middle has a comb very similar to mine. I'm hoping this puts an end to the shenanigans. Did you happen to soften yours first by putting it in some hot water? I had read somewhere on here that that makes the job a bit easier. Thanks again!

 

[Debbiedodo]

Yes, we did use hot water to soften them. My son was the one to pry open the peepers and put them on while I held the birds and their heads. It takes strong hands to apply them. There is a tool to put them on I guess but we did OK without it. At first when we put them on, the feather picking stopped. A couple of months later it started again but not to the level it was before. We also added a flock block to the covered portion of their run and put straw or hay in the run. Everyday, I throw scratch and BOSS in the straw and they spend a lot of time scratching through it to find the seeds. I've also added more protein to their diet. If I could free range, I don't think I would have the problem of feather picking. Mostly I think my girls are bored.

 

[Noble Rooster]

Thank you! I will try the hot water technique. My girls partially have the boredom issue too, even though they have a flock block and I give them various veggies/other things to pick at and forage spread out throughout their setup. We have way too many predators here to free range them. The main issue is that this one aggressive hen has always taken stuff out on our lowest-ranked girl, and with the recent death of one girl Miz Meany seems to be using a flock order change as an excuse, even though their ranks did not change relative to each other. Sigh.

Thanks again!

 

[Noble Rooster]

Finally was able to do this today -- she's still getting used to them and definitely felt sorry for herself all morning, but they seem to be working and I noticed a big difference in how the pecking victim behaved today! So hopefully they'll do the trick. The peepers are resting on her comb but not putting pressure on it or restricting it in any way.

For those who may read this thread in the future, it took 5 minutes of boiling the peepers to get them just pliable enough to put on. Hope this helps, and thanks again!