Blu-kote backfired - help! (pics added)

[karmical]

Fingers crossed for the Vicks!!

I went for the "baby-rub" (eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil and aloe extract). I do still have that Rooster Booster anti-pick stuff ordered and on the way as a back-up....if at first you don't succeed.....!!!

I think you're on to something there Spotted Crow...just the way the pickers LOOK at those beards and muffs, it's like, "hmmmm....now what is that? That looks so strange, I must eat it!" Oye...I hope their feathered legs aren't next!!

On a positive note though, it sounds like from your experience the picking didn't move into other areas? Maybe once they pick them enough so they don't look so different they stop? LOL...I love trying to get in to the minds of my chickens!

So sad to see my SF's looking so mottled

I just loved those beards and muffs! Looks aside though, as long as this doesn't turn into a bloody mess, I'll be happy.

 

[karmical]

Well...I don't know if the Vick's worked, or if they've picked enough feathers now that they don't look so "different", but things SEEM to be stabilizing. I'll catch them picking at them here and there, but still no blood, thank goodness. STILL waiting for my AviaCharge2000...I think it should be here today. Been feeding them all yogurt and scrambled eggs in the meanwhile hoping that will help too.

Here's a few pics...(I got a new camera for Christmas and can get REALLY up close

)

Caught in the act!

Just beginning to get picked...

A day later...

Another day later...

This is about how she looks now, with maybe a little more neck showing...I slathered on Vick's so what's left isn't fluffing out anymore at all.

Come on AviaCharge!!!!

 

[Pine Grove]

Keep enough Vicks on so when they peck, They get a good mouth full.

 

[SeaChick]

karmical-

Did you have any success with any of these solutions????

I just had to bring our little red sex-link, Rita, inside tonight. I SO SO SO don't want to have another chicken in the house again, but in the last 3 days she has been picked so bare that I am afraind she won't be warm enough in the 14 degrees forecast for tonight.

This happened out of the blue and she has a hugely bare lower back. At least half her tail feathers are gone. It is slightly disgusting to look at. Did you know that chickens have a little nub presumably at the base of the spine) in their tail? Rita's is bare skin now. Ugh.

All 5 other girls seem to be doing it. Tried BluKote, no luck she's red & white so it was high-contrast. Tried Vicks, she seemed to preen it all off right away.

I have lately had a theory that in winter (when not eating bugs) they aren't getting enough protein from the 16% organic layer pellets.. evidenced by how CRAZY they get for meat scraps. So maybe this is part of the problem? I'm upping the meat scraps/sardines/tuna supplemental feeding now by a lot, plus BOsunflower seeds. But in the meantime Rita is red, raw, and bare.

I guess I should keep her in until it heals somewhat. But then what???? Maybe a saddle? What does everyone think?

VERY VERY FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!

Stacey

 

[silkiechicken]

Might just have to go with a saddle. That little lump at the end of their spine, that's their oil gland.

See if you can find a layer supplement feed where you are. I found a layer supplement here and it's 20% protein! YAY! Cost 5 bucks more a bag though...

 

[BJ]

Same problem here. Had to bring one in...and NOT happy about it. I think it is a combination of boredom and lack of bug protein. I have been giving the hens mealworms. They just gobble them up, but they are expensive. I'm so afraid to put Meg back in the coop. I have been bringing the naughty bird inside for supervised visits and she has been doing better around Meg. Maybe it is the mealworms? They just seem so hungry for BUGS and I can only do so much! I'm gong to try giving them eggs. They have never had eggs and that will give them extra protein if they like it. Oh I can't wait for the winter boredom to pass!!

 

[dlhunicorn]

Avia Charge 2000 will help get them through the winter (it is advised in the extension articles to give a supplement with cold or heat stress as the birds will eat less) ...Yogurt also has a bit of methionine in it and so do sunflower seeds.

 

[hcammack]

nice fovorrel mine are the ones who somtimes pick on the other girls but never to this extent I hope she gets better

 

[SeaChick]

I forgot to say that we also put AviaCharge in the water at least every other day (we'd been alternating with ACV every other day). But they'd been having that for at least a month before they started pecking Rita...... so..... maybe it's not enough? Dlhunicorn, is it OK to give a lot of Aviacharge? Like maybe sprinkle it in the feed as well as the water?

it's just so frustrating, I feel like I have done everything I can re: aviacharge, meat/fish scraps, BOS, bluekote, vicks.... and nothings working. I even put a bale of hay in the run yesterday, to give them something more fun to scratch in. WE'd discontinued using hay after Penelope's impacted crop incedent, but I was desperate!! Sigh: now I'll have to monitor crops again too!!!

I guess the problem is that we care so much about these chickens. If we were merely keeping farm flocks like 100 years ago, I suppose we wouldn't care about the pecked-bare girl and of she got too bad we'd just cull her. But since they're pets we want everything to be perfect!!

Also, I did a whole bunch of research yesterday and found some really interesting scientific papers about feather pecking, aggressive pecking, and the causes. Very interesting... here's a synopsis: http://www.organic-vet.reading.ac.uk/Poultryweb/disease/feath/feath.htm

Somewhere in my research I got the idea that maybe our organic layer feed is partly to blame re: the protein source not providing the needed amino acids. So we'll continue to feed a lot of meat/fish scraps and yogurt and BOS to help with that.

Silkiechicken, I do not think that I can get an organic layer supplement. The highest protein organic feed is starter, which has no calcium. I suppose I could feed that and add in oyster shell in addition to offering it free choice... but I juST yesterday bought and opened a 50# bag of layer pellets.... which would go bad since we have only 6 birds. Probably more cost effective to continue to add the organic meat scraps and canned tuna/sardines....... unless someone advises otherwise?????

Frustrating!!!!!!!

 

[karmical]

Hi gang!

I feel your pain Seachick! This feather picking is so disturbing...things seem to be stabilized somewhat with my bunch.

Here's a pic of the worst of it:

Here's what I did...added AviaCharge to their water every day (1 tsp/gallon) along with the ACV. Every morning they get BO Sunflower Seeds (I run them through the blender) stirred in with plain yogurt. And now and then I throw in some cottage cheese too (the folks at Mypetchicken suggested that so as to up the Tryptophan). I've ordered a bag of fishmeal too...can't WAIT for that to arrive and see if it helps too with the protein.

The Vick's (I used the baby rub) seems to be helping as well...they do preen it off a bit, but I was determined for a few days and made sure that there was plenty on to leave a bad taste...now just a little seems to do the trick. Blu-kote didn't work for my SFs because of their coloring, but they started picking my Partridge Rock and I could use it on her with success because she's dark enough. I'm Vick's-ing her neck now too though. Mine are all mostly going for the necks it seems.

One other thing I've started doing is filling a large suet cage (screwed to the wall of the coop) with spinach every morning. They all act terrified of it when I fill it up, but by the time I'm home from work at the end of the day it's EMPTY!! Hoping it's giving them something to do other than pick feathers.

They all seem to get along pretty well...all things considered...I don't see the feather picking as an aggressive or "attack" behavior with my bunch, so I've yet to separate them. I only have the 7 and it's a big coop, so I figure they all need each other to keep warm! I too cannot WAIT for the Winter boredom to be over!

Looking forward to reading the article SeaChick linked....