Birds' backs are bare...

[VickieB57]

My hens backs are all picked bare... The roo is looking pretty bad himself, but his back is not naked. Is there something I can do to stop them from pulling each others feathers out?

 

[WyandotteBiased]

They might be bored or in a too small enclosure.

 

[VickieB57]

Their cages are 30x36, which comes to 7.5 feet. I have 8 in one and 7 in the other. I did keep some boxes in them with hay when it was cold, and kept the cages covered with heat lamps. But now that it's warmed up I took the boxes out. I can't see that they're feather picking seems to be affected by the boxes.

 

[dc3085]

If coturnix are missing feathers on their back they are being feather picked. What protein percentage is their feed? Are you giving them oyster shell?

 

[VickieB57]

I'm feeding them Purina Layena, which has 20% protein. I haven't been giving them anything else because Robbie, from James Marie Farms told me not to. (That's where I bought my eggs) He warned me that the Layena would have everything I needed in it.

 

[joemorcos]

20% is relatively low. It's not optimal but it's ok. I've been using 22% for the last 5 years.

 

[VickieB57]

I just spoke with Robbie from JMF... (I should have done that to begin with...) He suggested I up the protein by mixing some startena wiwth layena. He is always so informative. I love getting to talk with him!

 

[Bruiserdog99]

Use hot pick that always stop feather picking and cannibalism its alot like peper spray you put on the birds feathers and when they peck eachother it gives em a really bad taste and stops them from doing that its fairly cheap and you can get at d@b or zamzoes or any other place that deals with poultry.

 

[dc3085]

Hot pick is a band aid. You are better off actually solving the problem by fixing whatever you are doing wrong that is causing them to feather pick.