Bare butts... How can I control this without having 17 seperate pens?

[Flowers of Abba]

I have 16 hens and 1 Rooster. 1/2 of them have NO feathers on their buts.

The one's the Rooster favors also have bald heads and bare backs all the way up.

AND my rooster is so sweet , his but looks like a baboon because the hens try to bully him around!

I have two brooders in the garage, but their mainly meant for serious injuries one at a time or for chicks. So I can not stick 8 hens and a rooster in there for weeks at a time waiting for more feathers to grow in!!!!!!!!!!!!

How long does it take for feathers to grow back in? And should I worry about it as long as they are not bloody??
I feel like a bad mom.

I have been filtering out the mean hens this past 6 monthes, but once their is a bald spot the nice ones even notice and keep it bare.

I feel like giving them spankings and telling them to play nice.

Any other ideas would be more than welcome!!!!

 

[JLS]

I have had simular trouble recently. It all started with a hen who got too big for her britches. She was literally ripping 4 of my girls apart. I seperated the wounded ones as well as the naughty hen. When their wounds healed I put them back with the others. As for "Ms. Hannable Lecter" she has a new home where she's the low woman in the pecking order

From my limited experience, I have realized that as long as there is no blood, the chickens will do quite well even with bare bottoms. Just make sure there is enough space for everyone. If they get too cramped things can get ugly really fast!

 

[chookchick]

Baboon butt syndrome. Don't worry, your not a bad mom, it often happens. If they are actually eating the feathers, they may be deficient in protein--so you could start upping their protein with a higher protein layer, or add snacks such as small amounts cat food, low-salt fish, sunflower seeds, washed cottage cheese, shredded mozzerella, meal worms, etc...Try giving them the old hanging cabbage head, hanging suet feeder with a seed block, so they have something else to pick at. Get some Blu kote to keep on hand in case they get carried away. Unfortunately, they won't grow feathers back until molting time.

 

[feathersnuggles]

My birds are much easier on each other the more they are allowed outside to free-range. Birds need lots of distractions - they need to be very busy and then they'll be way less interested in pecking each other. The great outdoors has distractions galore - you don't need to provide them. Or, if they must be in an enclosure, make sure they have lots of space in their enclosure and lots of interesting activities to burn their pent-up energies and keep them continually busy. Otherwise they tend to attack each other, like a pinata.

Here are some ideas for activities:
1. A rotting stump, with lots of rotten crumbling wood, insects and insect eggs. They'll stand on it and tear at it with their claws, while "things" scurry everywhere. It can keep them busy for a good time. I've been known to roll a big old partially rotten stump into their run, when they have to stay inside for a day. By the way, I "grow" my own rotten stumps -- by always being on the lookout for nice sized tree stumps and logs that I can toss under my backyard trees or partially bury in the soil, so they can slowly decompose. When people cut down trees on their property, I will often find large pieces by the side of the road, with a "FREE" sign on them.)

2. A heap of material, newly presented, in their run, for them to scratch through: for example, like straw, or shavings, leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, piles of weeds, whatever you can find that isn't toxic.

3. Bury seeds & scratch (or some dry cat food) under their bedding - then get them to dig it up. It will keep them digging for an hour or more.

4. Make a super deluxe dry dust bath in their run. They'll spend hours in a dust bath, rolling around and then preening their feathers. If the bath gets full sunlight, EVEN better.

5. If the run is tall enough, put a perch or two in. My hens' run has a roost about 3-1/2 feet off the ground that holds up to 4 full size hens. It gives them another interesting spot to take a siesta or preen their feathers outside, and provides my timid little hen with a place to jump up & out of the way of any of the bigger hens agressions.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
I've found this to be true too. The blu kote is a great idea, I use it also, and when it wears off, in a very long time

, I just reapply it. Good luck!

 

[Flowers of Abba]

b.hromada :

Quote:
I've found this to be true too. The blu kote is a great idea, I use it also, and when it wears off, in a very long time

, I just reapply it. Good luck!

Sorry! Blu Kote??? I honestly have no idea... What's that?

Also, I LOVE YOU GUYS. I was so stressed out, but now I have several things I can work with starting right NOW!!!


Kandi​

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I've found this to be true too. The blu kote is a great idea, I use it also, and when it wears off, in a very long time

, I just reapply it. Good luck!

Sorry! Blu Kote??? I honestly have no idea... What's that?

Also, I LOVE YOU GUYS. I was so stressed out, but now I have several things I can work with starting right NOW!!!


Kandi

Blue Kote is a name brand of spray on wound medicine that is sold at the feed store. Check near the horse and cattle topical medicines. You can get several brands of similar-type stuff if your feed store has a big selection. The key ingredient to look for is Gentian Violet or Methyl Violet which is bluish purple and covers the red of blood. It is a fungicide, and I think the other ingredients in the meds are antibacterial, therefore it's a widely used "cure all" in the livestock world. The kind I have is called Pad Kote, made by Happy Jack's brand, and it's for dog's foot pads, but it's essentially the same ingredients as Blue Kote. With such similar names I wonder if the brands aren't connected somehow.

Be careful, it stains!!! Though it will wear off of your skin (and your birds'), it never comes off of hardwood, sheetrock, clothes, washclothes, etc (just ask me how I know!!!! lol)

 

[IL Piccolo Pollaio]

Make a Hen Apron or buy one.It wiil protect the hen or rooster from pecking.