Bare butts!

fratmor

Songster
9 Years
Sep 10, 2010
255
3
111
ny,ny
my chickens are picking at each other .they started just above the tail and now one of my blk astos has a bare red butt
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and belly.I have checked for mites and don't see any.they started this when the yard was full of snow so I thought boredom they are now back in there area and they are still picking each other.It could also be a protein problem.but i don't want to give them cat food.I'm trying to keep them vegetarian.I feed them 16% protein layer mix.
 
You could try putting some blue cote on their butts, the bare bums are probably very tempting to pick at. Also you could try putting some entertainment in the run/coop for them- like hanging a bunch of lettuce up. Good luck!
 
it could be a lot of things...often it is some sort of nutrient deficiency. I'm a little concerned about them being forced to be "vegetarian". Chickens are naturally omnivorous, and if they aren't getting enough of whatever it is they need, they may not recover from the problem. Do they get any bugs at all? As far as cat food...yuck- it tends to be fishy and that might transfer fish flavor into the eggs. Have you tried giving them scrambled eggs? That has worked like a charm for my chickens, and they LOVE it! Good luck!
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Rumor is blue kote causes cancer...I wont even use it on my horses. Try putting VET RX or TOAD JUICE on their hinnys...will kill mites/lice and discourage picking. Worst case buy the anti pick devices or have beaks dubbed. Once they get into that habit, next to nothing will stop it. IMHO a cannibilist bird is not worth having and should be culled. Seperate tastey butts from the ones doing the damage...that will help too. Good Luck!
 
On the cat food....mine get it all the time....even if not by my choice..its good protien and doesnt make their eggs taste funny. Remember chickens LOVE maggots and rotting veggies too...but their eggs dont taste like flies and spoiled greens.
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they are in a run with what used to be grass mud now.they get plenty of worms when the ground is soft.what about dog food thats not fishy
 
How about BOSS? but I'm like Warfrost I would be concerned about them being vegetarian when they are not. and please tell us where you heard about bluekote causing cancer. I use it alot and most of the time have it on me too. One of my Brahma hens was getting plucked on the bottom by her friend whos a bantam, she was right in the line of fire so to speak, I sprayed blukote on her bottom, plucking stopped..
 
I agree with Miss Lydia, RedneckChikns, where are you getting the information about Blu Kote? I have been using it for years on my horses.
 
I too have a new laying bird that got along with the others till she layed her first egg. When she was introduced a few weeks ago to the others, she body slammed the roo, and held her ground. Rules changed aster she layed her blue egg. They bloodied her up good around her vent, I rubbed antibiotics salve on her and I had to cage her. I then got blue cote a few days later after her butt closed up and applied it and let her back to be with the girls. Didn't take 2 hrs. and she was pecked up again. So back to the cage till her new apron arrives,LOL If that does not work, I belive I will have to find other plans for her. That all being said, I have no idea what to tell ya but try what you can. Blucote works for some,not me, BOSS and Oyster shells,(which I have tried as well), have not done it either. All the best............
 

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