Feather picking Help!!!

[flo12345]

I am having a terrible problem with feather picking in my flock. It is much to cold to quarantine them so I am looking into what else I can do to stop this problem. I feed my hens cat food in their feed to give them extra protein but it doesn't seem to be helping. I have three hens with featherless bottoms and two with bare spots on their backs. I am putting blukote on their butts and the two have saddles on to cover the bare spots. Some of my other hens are starting to get bare spots too. I am looking into beak trimming for my girls because this has been a problem I can't stop for quite a while now.

What do you guys think about beak trimming? I would only be trimming the very tip so the can pull the feathers out. Help please! I am very open to any other ideas as well!

Flo12345

 

[Kelsie2290]

Have you tried Pinless Peepers or Bumper Bits? how many birds / what is the coop size? If it is a space issue, adding roosts or ladders etc to give them more perching space in addition to floor space might help. Entertainment wise, have you tried hanging cabbage, bales of hay or straw for them to scratch through etc. You might also be better off to feed them a chick starter or game bird type food rather than supplementing with too much cat food for added protein.

 

[flo12345]

Never heard of those! I'll look into them though!
My coop is 4ft by 8ft and I have 10 hens and a bantam roo. They have a huge run and they have access to it all day. They wont touch cabbage or lettuce, but I do give them hay to scratch around when it is super cold and they can't go out side.

 

[flo12345]

Also, wanted to let you know I am building a bigger coop as soon as it warms up! It's so cold here! brrrr

 

[bobbi-j]

I think a bigger coop will help. Feather picking can be a result of overcrowding and boredom. I don't know how cold it is where you live, but my chickens were outside this winter in sub-zero weather. It was their choice and they were perfectly happy. The thing mine don't like is snow, so when hubby was blowing the driveway, he blew a path past the coop so they could get out on the bare ground.

 

[flo12345]

It is about 28 today, but it has been at temperatures of 12 degrees the past week so pretty cold.
But anywho, my dad snowblows for me when there's snow but they still don't want to go out sometimes. :/
Thanks for all the replies!
Not going to use the pinless pecker or the bumper bits. I looked at them and I think they look very uncomfortable for the chickens.

I was just out and was looking at some of my girls and their feathers are starting to grow back on their bums! Yaaaay!

As it gets warmer I'll be able to do more and I wont have school either so I'll be able to spend more time with them! <3 And build a new coop! Do all the stuff I need to do so I will be better prepared for next winter. (I was not ready for winter this year)
Thanks again!! and also if you have any more ideas I will gladly take them!
lots of chicken love,
flo12345