My chickens are pecking each other! I think I have isolated the main culprit (she is in a dog kennel in the house *sigh*) but there may be more doing it. 10 of 12 chickens have bare butts and some are even pecked on the underside. I have tried the following:
Black stuff you put in the water (I can't remember the name! I got it from Murray McMurray)
Blu-Kote
Cat Food sprinkled in w/ their scratch
Live Crickets and Mealworms (mail ordered) (I just did this yesterday but they ate $30 worth of bugs in about 30 seconds so I can't keep doing it!)
Fried Eggs (3 per day)
They are on layer pellets (vegetarian), get yogurt w/ flax seeds or oatmeal w/ bananas and flax seeds every day. They also get greens (spinach, cabbage, lettuce, greens or mesclun) every day. They get scratch every day, which is a mixture of commercial scratch, shelled sunflower seeds and wild bird food (mostly black oil sunflower seed). They also get grit and calcium every day (either oyster shells or eggshells mashed up). I also give them apples, pears or bananas or whatever fruit I have on hand. I just can't imagine that it is a dietary deficiency. They free-range in the afternoons (some days) and on the weekends.
What am I missing!? I have heard the peepers can help but that seems really mean and I don't know if she will be able to eat/drink properly. I don't want to make the offender's life totally miserable. Should I try saddles? I am worried that she will just peck them somewhere else.
If anyone can make me saddles, I would be very happy to pay for them. Or, if someone has an *easy* pattern. I am a terrible seamstress.
Please tell me your ideas! I need help! My wonderful, joyful chickens are starting to really stress me out!
Black stuff you put in the water (I can't remember the name! I got it from Murray McMurray)
Blu-Kote
Cat Food sprinkled in w/ their scratch
Live Crickets and Mealworms (mail ordered) (I just did this yesterday but they ate $30 worth of bugs in about 30 seconds so I can't keep doing it!)
Fried Eggs (3 per day)
They are on layer pellets (vegetarian), get yogurt w/ flax seeds or oatmeal w/ bananas and flax seeds every day. They also get greens (spinach, cabbage, lettuce, greens or mesclun) every day. They get scratch every day, which is a mixture of commercial scratch, shelled sunflower seeds and wild bird food (mostly black oil sunflower seed). They also get grit and calcium every day (either oyster shells or eggshells mashed up). I also give them apples, pears or bananas or whatever fruit I have on hand. I just can't imagine that it is a dietary deficiency. They free-range in the afternoons (some days) and on the weekends.
What am I missing!? I have heard the peepers can help but that seems really mean and I don't know if she will be able to eat/drink properly. I don't want to make the offender's life totally miserable. Should I try saddles? I am worried that she will just peck them somewhere else.
If anyone can make me saddles, I would be very happy to pay for them. Or, if someone has an *easy* pattern. I am a terrible seamstress.
Please tell me your ideas! I need help! My wonderful, joyful chickens are starting to really stress me out!