Will they EVER grow back?

2DogsFarm

Songster
10 Years
Apr 10, 2009
1,099
13
171
NW Indiana
My little Houdan hen got pecked bald this Winter when bad weather had me keeping my girls confined in their coop.
It is a large garden shed - about 8'WX10'LX8'H for 5 chickens - so they were not crowded, just b-o-r-e-d!

Blu-kote did nothing to stop them pecking and now that they are out in their pen - 10'X20' - every day, all day long they are still picking out the feathers as they grow back. I'll see her one day with a nice crop of quills coming in then bald again the next day! Yummy blood feathers : 9

She has no crest at all except for 2 tufts at the back of her head and 2 over her eyes.
While that means she can see better now I would like her to grow back her poufy crest.

Any suggestions?
A teeny football helmet?
Limburger on her head?

I may have to change her name to Curly Joe:(
 
lau.gif
lau.gif
lau.gif
What do you do once you finally catch the pecker....inquiring minds want to know????
hu.gif
 
yes I would raise the protein level, when I first started with quail and hatched out BWhites I found they kept picking each other then when I raised the protein (scrambled eggs were given) they stopped right away. Although I love the mini helmet idea
smile.png
 
They get free choice Layena Sunfresh - so 16% protein - plus lots of fresh veggies/fruits in the form of treats - maybe 1 cup per chicken daily.

How much protein should I add?

What percentage would be enough to satisfy the Pecker?
(Oh, Lord...I cannot believe I just typed that..
roll.png
.)

edited to add:
I will try scrambled eggs - I have more than enough eggs to do this!
And I make them oatmeal with yogurt every monring so I can just add in the eggs before I microwave.

Sigh...so it has come to this, I am making breakafast for chickens...
 
Last edited:
cat food- I've heard this has lots of proteina nd will help. Since i"ve had problems with cannibilism as well I throw them a handful of catfood a couple times a week. They like it and it keeps them busy scratching for it as well
 
OK - I am bumping this up because I've added 2 eggs - shells & al - to their daily oatmeal/yogurt breakfast.

It's been 4 days and no cease-fire has been declared in the Picking War.
How long before I can expect the boost in protein to make those bee-yotches leave her alone to grow back her crest?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom