Feather picking?

[azygous]

The biggest deterrent to feather picking is conquering boredom. I probably have the world's worst feather picker. I've noticed when she is free ranging, there's so much going on out in the big world that the only time she picks a feather is when someone stupidly puts her fluff butt under Flo's beak.

When they're back inside the run, I give them jumbo carrots screwed onto eye screws and hung so they swing like tether balls. I do that with apples, too. I fill empty Gator Aid bottles with 1/4 in holes drilled into them with scratch grain and they roll the bottles around for hours to get the seeds out. They've nibbled their flock block down to a softball size lump, so it'll be time to get another one soon.

The main thing is to make them work for the goodies. If all you have for them is layer feed in hanging feeders, you'll have bored chickens.

 

[real_redhead]

Going to get a flock block tomorrow. My speckled sussex is being feather picked around her neck. My kids commented today she looks like a naked neck. I haven't been able to figure out who is picking. I wasn't sure if I should take the SS out of the coop for a while or cage her so no one can pick her feathers. I have been hanging cabbage in the run for them to have something to do. They haven't been able to get out much due to the hawk problems. Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[azygous]

Rather than remove the victim, it would be far better to identify the picker. Your victim would only have a much harder time of it once she returns, having lost what rank she has while she's gone.

Often, it's one culprit doing the picking. Look for someone the same age as the victim, possibly having been raised as brooder mates. It's usually one who is very close to the same pecking order rank.

If you can observe and identify the culprit, then remove the culprit until the victim is healed. Pinless peepers often help by making it harder for the culprit to see her target. You might also try making a neck gator for the victim to wear on her naked neck by cutting the lower part of a small-size, long sleeve t-shirt off, using the cuff portion and a couple inches of sleeve to slip over the bird's head. The cuff would fit below the victim's throat, helping to keep it in place.

 

[Sharon Bee]

I have posted my story on another thread about my 11 chickens that are feather picking. The reds are the worse for wear - their backs and bums and necks are bare. I tried putting pinless peepers on all of them but the reds. So I think the reds are actually the culprits because they are still being picked. All the rest have peepers on. I give them lots of greens, treats, layer food and they have ample room to roam around. They have lots of straw for foraging. I think I'm going to have to put peepers on the reds but it is something my husband and I don't like doing. I always feel it hurts them but if you do it right, it's not supposed to hurt. The others have adjusted to the peepers fine now. Just one Black Sex Link was moping so I took it off her.