blackrocks

[craig venner]

hi i am due to get 3 blackrock hens of a friend and went to see them today, they have bald patches around the backside and top of the tail. my friend said they are pecking each other why is this and what can i do about it?

 

[Buster]

It helps if you feed them more protein such as eggs or sunflower seed and also if they are not cooped up and bored. Winter time is hard that way. I feed my 12 chickens 3 scrambled eggs (with the shells crushed up with them) about every other or 3rd day. I also feed chopped oats (I have a free supply of them) and black oil sunflower seeds a couple times a day. Some pecking is normal, that's just what they do. But sometimes it's a sign of not enough protein or boredom. You can also hang a cabbage up in the coop about head height to give them something to be interested in for a while.

I'm kind of new to this myself, so anyone else feel free to speak right up if I am wrong on any of this.

 

[crazychickens]

Some of mine started to do that. They stopped when I let them free range in the day, then I locked them up at night. I dont know about yours but I think mine were bored. This winter I let them outside, but I have to shovel a 6 by 6 foot area clear of snow, then sprinkle some cracked corn on the ground. When it snowed for 3 days straight I baked them a couple of cut up squash, so they had some to do, when they didnt want to come out of the coop.

 

[craig venner]

nice one, i will pass on the information to my pal any idea how long for the feathers growing back

 

[crazychickens]

My black hen lost alot of feathers on her shoulders, back and head from a roo. (he's now in our freezer) Then the other hens had been picking at her. That happened last summer and they have not grown back yet. Maybe they dont grow feathers unless they are molting? I hope Blackie molts this summer because she is one ugly chicken right now. She is sweet and lays 4to5 eggs a week.
Good luck
Chickens will keep pecking at wound if it has blood on it.