The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lazy gardener]

Also, make note of who she roosts beside. Is it always the same girl? If so, you may have a feather picker on your hands. I know I do, and she needs to be put down, but busy life tends to make those unpleasant tasks take a back seat.

 

[lalaland]

I have a few hens who take the feathers when they are taking their morning roost in the pine trees - after coming out of the coop, eating, etc - in about 30 minutes most are settling in the lower branches of the trees for a nap. I see them reach over to their neighbor and pick feathers. One of my bearded ee's is beardless, and I have another hen with a sideways mohawk.

Not sure who the feather picker is, because the branches and undergrowth are so thick it is hard to get much more than glimpses of whats going on.

So, if you don't see whats happening after watching them settle and roost at night, try another time.

There is that rooster pick no more lotion - it has a fragrance - seems to work but you have to keep reapplying.

 

[mlowen]

New article in Natural Chicken Keeping at Blogspot on "chicken entertainment" for those of us who must keep them confined.

 

[armorfirelady]

So I've been trying to "force" the babies to roost at night by blocking off the nesting box at night. So far,I've had 2 roost on their own but the other 3 figured out how to get between the sign I'm using to block the box and the nesting box to get in the nesting box. No idea how they squeeze thru.

Yesterday Lucy decoded she wanted to go broody again. If I take the egg out she leaves after awhile. But last night with no egg to sit on she wouldn't budge from the nesting box. So I tossed her out, pit the sign in front of the nesting box and went in the house. After dark I went out to loud peeping. 3 of the babies squeezed into the nesting box again. So I took them out & put them on the roost. Later they were back in the nesting box so I gave in And removed the sign. Didn't Lucy hop off the roost, go in the nesting box & kick all the babies out but one? Ugh!! I put the babies back in, removed Lucy and put her back on the roost. I put a piece of lattice in front of the nesting box & Lucy tried hard to diff thru the slats. I left her trying and went back in the house. Later I removed the lattice and Lucy again went in & kicked the chicks out. I put the babies on the little roost together, left Lucy in the box and went to bed. This morning everyone is out in the yard. I'm going out of town this morning so for the next 3 nights the chicks will have to work out bedtime themselves. Hopefully they start roosting on the little roost.

 

[jsmith2952]

Okay-so I checked on the girls as they went to bed,then again after. No pecking. All three sleep the same way every night: two smushed beside each other (Rosie the molter and Penny, who goes to the beat of her own drum), and Lucy, the follower,right in between them on the floor. The roost is only a couple of inches off the coop floor. They have more than enough room to spread out (roost is a 5 foot long 2x4)but they still pile on each other similarly to how they did when they were young. Lucy is pretty pecky--if I'm sitting outside or gardening, shell follow me around and peck my toes, fingers, elbows, etc. Not hard to break skin, more like a nip. Both penny and Lucy would have prime position to pecking that bald spot at night.

As for broody behavior: I don't know. I'm going to guess no, because I don't find her in the nest boxes, although she is the only one who crouches and puffs out and coos when I come near. I figured she thought of me like a rooster...

I have checked for lice and mites periodically over the past few months-- probably every two weeks or so. I use de in the litter and check the coop for evidence as well. I'll look again this morning once I enlist my unenthusiastic assistant!

I feed them meat bits and/or hard boiled eggs once a week or so, and I've noticed that because the summer here has been cooler than usual there have been less bugs for them to eat (last year we would forage millions of crickets from the pool alone every morning for them!) I was worried that too much protein might not be good for them, but if I need to increase it, how much can I give them?

I'm hopeful that I can get those feathers to grow before it starts to get cold...the anti-peck cream mentioned, where can I get it if need be?

Thanks for all the advice and help. It does give me some relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this.

 

[JerseyGlove]

How exactly do you incorporate the apple cider vinegar ie. what amounts per waterer? Thanks!

 

[flyladyrocks]

How exactly do you incorporate the apple cider vinegar ie. what amounts per waterer? Thanks!

Sorry all, I have been MIA - other than my sick chicken panic! August is a crazy busy month for us. I don't have much to offer in advice to anyone anyway since I am such a newbie but I have learned so much from all of you so thanks a ton!

 

[mlowen]

Thanks for all the advice and help. It does give me some relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this.

You are SO not the only one. I have two leghorns who are really bad feather eaters. If I cull them, I lose the best layers and 2/5 of my flock. I had hoped they would be busy enough and find enough protein in their weekend and evening ranging that they would stop. No. I have a hen with a red "monkey butt." I am embarrassed for anyone to see them up close.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@mlowen - have you tried some Nustock on the bottom? I think they don't like the smell or taste of it and it couldn't hurt to try (I don't like the smell either

)

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Feather picking appears to be heritable. Cannibalism and such seem to be more common among Mediterranean breeds. That said, I had a Black Star who feather picked and ate. To be fair, she was starving to death from a malignant reproductive and intestinal tumor and I had her put down.