The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

I used rooster booster pick no more a few years ago - I put it on feathers vs bare skin. I don't know if it was the taste or the smell, but the picking stopped. However, it did wear off and picking resumed. I decided to put up with the feather mess - I have three hens that look like they got a bad perm because their back feathers have been snipped/bit in half. These are hens that were raised by a guy in a bedroom for a year....their astrolorp sisters raised with them are the ones that eat the feathers. I think it was probably boredom in the bedroom (now that doesn't sound right) that started the habit.

Anyway, no one showed any ill effects from the pick no more lotion.

 

[jsmith2952]

thanks, lalaland. good to know. I'll pick some up and see what happens.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Okay. I obtained an MSDS from the Rooster Booster company for the product. Based on what I'm reading in it, I would not choose to put it on my birds. I'll post it here so y'all can make your own decision.

Click on each small photo and it should bring it up large enough to read:

 

[Leahs Mom]

Page 3 & 4 is where it begins to get interesting. Not only a skin irritant but also an issue for upper respiratory when inhaled.

You have to remember that these birds are very small and it would take way less to affect them than it would a human-sized being.

 

[misbhaven]

I thought the flash point is what was scary 70 degrees where are you supposed to store this stuff ? so very unstable compound, nope not going on my animals

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yah..that was kind-of weird to me too. I'm guessing that was just referring to one component rather than the whole mix but I didn't read very closely in that area. I just thought "That's strange" as I skimmed through.

 

[jsmith2952]

Thanks for obtaining and posting that info, Leah's Mom. I have to say, its pretty frustrating sometimes to try and make good decisions for my family/animals, only to discover some danger/chemical lurking around I didn't know about. I can try to make my own anti-peck, using tea tree and calendula, but I still don't get what the deterrent compound would be. If they'll peck right through a Vicks vapo rub, I don't see how tea tree oil would be any more effective. Thoughts??

 

[Turk Raphael]

Thanks for obtaining and posting that info, Leah's Mom. I have to say, its pretty frustrating sometimes to try and make good decisions for my family/animals, only to discover some danger/chemical lurking around I didn't know about. I can try to make my own anti-peck, using tea tree and calendula, but I still don't get what the deterrent compound would be. If they'll peck right through a Vicks vapo rub, I don't see how tea tree oil would be any more effective. Thoughts??

The pecking 'deterrent' used by my Brother on a bunch of cannibalistic Austra Whites was the very pest and worked immediately. He saw the little buggers playing havoc with other chicks and themselves, so he simply retrieved a high quality dog nail clipper and trimmed their miserable little upper beaks. It's something you almost have to know how to do but he does and it's not a major surgical procedure. No blood or real trauma. I won't say they enjoyed it but neither do the other birds enjoy having their butts gnawed off!!!

Worked like a charm. I'm not saying the AWs didn't try to continue pecking after the initial shock wore off but they could do NO harm.

Turk

 

[MumsyII]

The pecking 'deterrent' used by my Brother on a bunch of cannibalistic Austra Whites was the very pest and worked immediately. He saw the little buggers playing havoc with other chicks and themselves, so he simply retrieved a high quality dog nail clipper and trimmed their miserable little upper beaks. It's something you almost have to know how to do but he does and it's not a major surgical procedure. No blood or real trauma. I won't say they enjoyed it but neither do the other birds enjoy having their butts gnawed off!!!

Worked like a charm. I'm not saying the AWs didn't try to continue pecking after the initial shock wore off but they could do NO harm.

Turk

I had a couple chicks like that years ago and I did the same thing. It looked awful but they were meat and egg birds not destined for the show bench. They were eating each other alive. Those were hatchery stock. Never bought them since.

I have one bantam rir hen that is a notorious feather picker. She will de-nude a birds face and back on the perch at night. I separated her from the youngsters and silkies she was picking and put her in with LF RIR layer flock. They don't tolerate her picking and she stopped.

Any birds that start in my flock now will be culled. I don't have the time or patience to mess with nuisance chickens.

 

[Kassaundra]

I had a couple chicks like that years ago and I did the same thing. It looked awful but they were meat and egg birds not destined for the show bench. They were eating each other alive. Those were hatchery stock. Never bought them since.

I have one bantam rir hen that is a notorious feather picker. She will de-nude a birds face and back on the perch at night. I separated her from the youngsters and silkies she was picking and put her in with LF RIR layer flock. They don't tolerate her picking and she stopped.

Any birds that start in my flock now will be culled. I don't have the time or patience to mess with nuisance chickens.

x2