diy anti-feather pecking spray/balm?

[filmcmahon]

hello! my girls have been very sassy with each other lately and have been pecking at the smallest 2 out of 6 hens. does anyone have a successful recipe for anti-pecking spray or cream, or know of a brand that makes, it available in Ontario? the only one i seem to find is from the UK help!!!!

 

[MROO]

9x5 feet. 5 are 27 weeks and the silkie is 30 weeks. i will have to get back to you on the brand of feed and the levels of calcium and such tomorrow. its at the back of my property in a large tote beside the chicken coop. sorry. im really trying my best

No apologies needed! You're absolutely doing the right thing - asking for advice from people who have "been there, done that," before you.
Silkies do tend to get bullied by standard size chickens. They aren't usually very bold, and their crests often limit their vision, making it hard to see a coming attack until the other bird is already on top of them. If you can't separate your Silkie, then make sure s/he has a few lower perches. Silkies are heavy and their fluffy feathers keep them from actually flying. They don't fly, they just flutter, so high perches are out of their reach. Places to hide in/behind without getting cornered are a big plus, too. A leaning board fastened against the wall gives bullied birds an easy hidey-hole, as does a five-gallon bucket with both ends opened up. Since you have six full sized birds in a fairly tight space, adding some higher perches might be a good idea, too. Think of it as adding space by going up, instead of out.
Adding some boredom-busters would likely help, too. Bored chickens tend to take it out on their buddies, so you need to redirect their energy somewhere safe. There are lots of easy, DIY toys here on BYC. Some of the easiest (and cheapest!) to make are treat rollers. Take a sturdy plastic bottle, cut a few leak-holes (not big ones) in the side, and fill it about halfway with scratch - seeds, oatmeal, raisins, etc. They'll roll it around the run, letting the treats fall out the holes. It only keeps my not-so-bright Silkie busy for about ten minutes, but the other bantams will play with it all day long!
You just keep doing your best and keep asking questions. Your best will keep getting better, and pretty soon you'll be offering advice to other newcomers. That's the way BYC works ... and it's pretty cool!

 

[filmcmahon]

How old are they, in weeks or months?

Not seeing a pic.
Here some guides, how to post pics is in there:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3/?prefix_id=3

9 x 5 feet?

What kind of feed exactly brand/model and /or link to product and/or protein and calcium levels on tag sewn into bottom of bag. You should learn to know these things if you are asking the questions.

yes 9x5 feet. 5 are 27 weeks and the silkie is 30 weeks. i will have to get back to you on the brand of feed and the levels of calcium and such tomorrow. its at the back of my property in a large tote beside the chicken coop. sorry. im really trying my best

 

[aart]

Pecking problems are usually because of lack of space(crowding) and maybe diet(not enough protein). No anti-pecking concoction will remedy that.

If you tell us about....
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
-and what and how exactly you are feeding,
we might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

 

[BDutch]

Pecking on younger chickens is natural chicken behavior. But they should not hurt the younger/smaller ones.
If there is blood you have to separate the chickens for a week or so in a clever way. Like putting the 2biggest bosses in another part of the coop/run.

If you have ongoing problems there might be a problem with space and hiding places. Please consider what can cause the troubles.

 

[filmcmahon]

Pecking problems are usually because of lack of space(crowding) and maybe diet(not enough protein). No anti-pecking concoction will remedy that.

If you tell us about....
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
-and what and how exactly you are feeding,
we might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

thanks for your quick answer! we have 6 total.
- 3 colombian rocks (one never matured and is a bantam size for some reason. we love her still!), two barred plymouth rocks who are the ringleaders of the pecking, and one smooth silkie (who lost her two silkie friends. one was a rooster and we couldn’t keep him, and one passed away from Merricks disease we believe).
- our coop is the “compact” design like in the picture i attached. it’s 9x5
- we are feeding them adult chicken feed, oyster shell mix (or something of the sort, my mom does it not me lol.) and any table scraps that chickens can have.
we have had this problem with our silkie who passed away after she got sick. we started free ranging them after that and the pecking mostly stopped but it was too late and a cold day in october just got to her i guess. the small colombian and smooth silkie are targets, with the colombian getting her back picked at and the silkie getting mostly her head picked at, even after trimming it up. i really don’t want to have to send her away, she is such a sweet girl and has even survived a hawk attack! helppp

 

[filmcmahon]

Pecking on younger chickens is natural chicken behavior. But they should not hurt the younger/smaller ones.
If there is blood you have to separate the chickens for a week or so in a clever way. Like putting the 2biggest bosses in another part of the coop/run.

If you have ongoing problems there might be a problem with space and hiding places. Please consider what can cause the troubles.

there is not blood, but one cowers whever shes around some of the bigger ones. she hides under a stool, under the hanging food thing, and in the add on we put because she cant climb the ramp up to the coop very well. at nighttime she waits for us to put her to bed in the hut which has hay in it.

 

[Soy Milano]

They list a variety of products here - http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/fight-among-flock-members

 

[aart]

- 3 colombian rocks (one never matured and is a bantam size for some reason. we love her still!), two barred plymouth rocks who are the ringleaders of the pecking, and one smooth silkie

How old are they, in weeks or months?

- our coop is the “compact” design like in the picture i attached.

Not seeing a pic.
Here some guides, how to post pics is in there:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3/?prefix_id=3

it’s 9x5

9 x 5 feet?

- we are feeding them adult chicken feed, oyster shell mix (or something of the sort, my mom does it not me lol.) and any table scraps that chickens can have.

What kind of feed exactly brand/model and /or link to product and/or protein and calcium levels on tag sewn into bottom of bag. You should learn to know these things if you are asking the questions.

 

[aart]

They list a variety of products here - http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/fight-among-flock-members

The 'prevention' section is the best info on that page.