Ever use Pine tar ?? **UPDATE**

[Crazy4Chicks]

Well I have been having a heck of a time with the chickens pecking each other - and I have used the Blue Kote stuff, but that did not seem to help - next day they were still doing it !
I have increased the protein - cat food dry/canned, feeder fish, oatmeal, eggs,lunch meat,even cheese,bread - all kinds of treats

so DH went online to look up other things people have used - and he came across something about using PINE TAR from the TS - there were post from all kinds of people swearing up and down that this works - it will cover the blood, help heal the wounds, and taste nasty so the others will not peck at it

So we went to the TS to get some it cost around $7.00 so not to bad, I was just out there trying to apply this stuff to everyone I could grab that needed it-

OMG this stuff is thick and smelly and sticky - man I sure how it works
I have a few hens that are really starting to look bad one of them has a nasty spot on her chest right above her crop that is getting bad so I put some on her and I noticed the " pecker " of the flock tried to get at her but did not like the smell or taste or something and seemed to leave her alone-
so when DH gets home we are going to grab each one and see who needs it and who dont.
what worried me is the smell is really strong when they are all cooped up tonight will the smell be harmful to them ?

any help would be great
thank you

Julie

 

[ivan3]

We've used it to prevent the hens from picking at the roo's comb, and to tamp down turkey tom foolishness (liked to bloody one another as jakes). Very effective, but can be a real pain to work with (particularly in the cold), and potentially toxic (though the turkeys were slathered up pretty heavily and suffered nothing other than discolored feathers).

We mixed pine tar with a few drops of tea tree oil and antibiotic ointment and warmed the mix in a medicine cup (thins it up so we could apply it with q-tips) for the roo's comb. Didn't want to apply too much and have any getting into his eyes. Did stop the girls from biting at his comb.

It might have slowed down the turkey sparring - well, they did heal up faster in between bouts.

Pretty effective tool of last resort.

Good luck!

P.S. you might consider wearing gloves...

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

is it really safe to use? i have only done a few hens, but DH was going to help me do a few of the others that might need it. what if they eat some of it - will it make them sick/die ?
is the smell going to kill them while in the coop tonight?


Julie

 

[Katy]

It's what my dad always used. Don't remember anything ever dying from it. I've got some, but haven't had to use it.

 

[seminolewind]

I would try it, I would try sparingly first.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

Instead of doing all the hens - we picked out the ones that seemed to need it the most - and the smell in the coop is pretty strong but I had to do something, In the morning I will get the three we did and see if anyone bothered them - and if I need to reapply it or not, if they look alright I will check the others and do one or two more hens. I dont think everyone needs it but I did notice a few were getting pretty beat up - I do know that seperating would be the best but since it seems everyone is picking on everyone I will just have to keep treating them all until weather warms up and they start searching for bugs and leaving each other alone. I am still hoping to rehome a few of them to see if that helps - and build another coop/run - also I am thinking about building a temp coop/run like a hospital pen if I have enough room -

Julie

 

[bjcoop]

I have used it in the past---as an emergency measure. But it did work great for protecting my roosters comb.

He was getting picked on badly by my GLW Winnie. I didnt put too much on him, but it pretty much stopped her picking. By the time it wore off he was pretty much healed up.

--bjcoop

 

[howlingwoodsfarm]

I recently had to start to use the pine tar. Mine does not seem to be nearly as smelly as you describe. I was treating the one girl who was getting picked on with blue kote and like you said they just kept on pecking so now she has pine tar on and they are not pecking at her. I did wear gloves and did not use all that much. Just enough to cover up the bloody spot and all seems well so far. It has been a few days and nobody is having any issues with it. I will use it everytime blue kote does not help.

heather

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

*** UPDATE ***

well its been a few weeks since I posted this about using the pine tar. I put some on the hen who was the worse plucked - her rear end was a bloody mess and very painful - well we coated her rear end pretty heavy but we advoided putting it on her vent, right after we placed her down the others looked at it and tried to peck at her but got that pine tar in their mouth and quickly decided that pecking at her was no longer fun or tastey. she still has no feathers but the skin is a healthy pink with no more open wounds no bleeding and she is feeling so much better she has even given us an egg or two. She is still at the bottom of the pecking order but at least now she is not getting pecked on and is no longer a bloody mess. The pine tar has a very strong smell that is alittle powerful when they are in the coop all night and first thing in the morning the smell is pretty strong but once I open the windows and let it air out it is not so bad, we were having to reapply at least once or twice a week but she has been without it for almost 2 weeks I will reapply if it looks like someone is messing with her again, but the pine tar will discolor the feathers making them have this yellow brown color but it is worth it. We were facing having to cull her if this did not work.
We got it at the tractor supply and paid almost 7.00 for a little can but it is highly worth it to help out a hen from getting pecked on.

just thought I would give an update on my " naked butt hen "

Julie

 

[BJ]

Wow. This is great news to me. I re-homed a hen who was pecking on another. I tried blue-kote too and it did not seem to help and I had to bring the bloody hen inside. I would have tried pine tar had I known...I have seen it at Tractor Supply and considered it, but was afraid to use it for fear of the mess. Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I plan to pick up a bottle of this to keep handy.

This is one reason I love this forum!!!!