14 Chickens, Pecking Each Others Feathers Out

[3KillerBs]

I'm going to keep updating this for myself and in case someone ever finds this post in a Google search. It might help.

That's a very good idea!

I hope the peepers work for you.

 

[DobieLover]

I also added some clutter to the chicken run. Not a lot, but the chickens are already all over everything so I know it's a good thing! They're jumping on top of it, walking under it, walking around it. They all perched on top of them like it was some kind of fancy chicken perch. lol

Can you post pictures of your setup?
Keep going with the clutter.
I added two old unused wood saw horses to the pen, I have two pallets leaning against each other to form an A-frame, I cruise the streets on the day garbage is put out and rescue old wood chairs and put them around the pen, I went down to the town branch/log disposal site and rescued some nice stumps to make arrangements with. All free. The chickens love perching on these things, digging around them and just relaxing under them.
Why did you choose sand for the run? I doesn't offer much in the way of good scratching or a good media for cold composting the poop load.
Another free item I use with my flock is wood chips. By the truck load. They work very well as a run litter that the birds also dig holes in down to damp soil and just lay in during hot weather, they dig other holes for dust bathing in and dig around the perimeter where they seem to find the best pickings for critters living in the wood chips.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Keep going with the clutter.
I added two old unused wood saw horses to the pen, I have two pallets leaning against each other to form an A-frame, I cruise the streets on the day garbage is put out and rescue old wood chairs and put them around the pen, I went down to the town branch/log disposal site and rescued some nice stumps to make arrangements with. All free.

x2. In my area a lot of people put out stuff on the curb for the taking and I always eyeball it to see if anything's chicken appropriate. Even my hubby is into it. Just walked by an entertainment center this morning and we both went, "Hmm, would chickens want that?"

 

[3KillerBs]

Even my hubby is into it. Just walked by an entertainment center this morning and we both went, "Hmm, would chickens want that?"

My DH is still cringing a bit about the ugly stuff in the run. I need to learn how to fasten round branches to round branches so as to make better-looking, rustic woodland clutter.

 

[3KillerBs]

You're laughing, but since we have a great abundance of young pines and scrub oak it's a viable solution to the problem.

 

[Toryhillc]

I had an old time farmer recently tell me to add a bit of salt on the treats before I give them to them. Suppose to stop the pecking and aggression.

 

[Asriix]

Update & Progress Log #2:

The Peepers worked well! I could see that the redness on their 'peck spots' was starting to fade. Some had feathers start to grow back! Success!

...Then, about a week into having them on, it started getting noisy again. I started noticing some red spots but wasn't sure until I found one of the girls had literally ripped her peepers off.

Seemed like she'd been working at it for a while and she actually damaged part of her beak a little and it had some swelling. (nothing major) So we couldn't even put them back on her.

She is now terrorizing all the other hens and pecking them. But, she doesn't peck everyone, just certain ones. Three hens in particular.

So we're going to have to separate her. It is majorly hot here, so I don't know how well this will work. But we're going to put a large, covered dog cage in the shadiest part of the run and let her hang in there for a week to see if it helps.

I wish she hadn't ripped them off though. She's apparently more aggressive than we thought.

 

[3KillerBs]

But we're going to put a large, covered dog cage in the shadiest part of the run and let her hang in there for a week to see if it helps.

Something like my Outdoor Broody Breaker should work for the purpose.

 

[Asriix]

Something like my Outdoor Broody Breaker should work for the purpose.

That’s perfect! Thank you!

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s perfect! Thank you!

This is how I made it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/outdoor-broody-breaker.76592/