Feather plucking HELP!!

[digginchicks]

Okay so my hens have been plucking each other's feathers. I went to rural king to get some anti pick and they told me to just get blood meal cause that is what they are craving. Is this true?? Will it really make them stop plucking each others feathers, and how long will it take?

 

[spook]

Do you give your girls protein? Usually its a deficiency, one of the more knowing members will stop by and give you suggestions, but I have not done this, but heard about placing vaseline, Vick's, bag balm, even shortening. The feather pickers will not like the feel of the gunk.
Also, do you feed left over veggies, fruits, oatmeal, yogurt and all that? They don't need a lot, -if you have a few birds, I should say I don't need to spare much, I give them a serving or left over peels and cook the potato peels toss in meat scraps, oats, rice whatever. Give it to them warm, and they will jump hoops for you. Perhaps not pick feathers!
Good luck!!

 

[digginchicks]

Yes I feed them lots of left overs and stuff like that when family or neighbors have veggies or something that htey dont want any more they come over and throw them in with my hens and they are all over it. The always have 16% layer crumbles in the feeder that I NEVER let run out. I have vaselined some of my roo's combs before trying to brighten them up and they girls have went and tried eating the caseline off of them before so I'm not real sure that that would happen(not sure that they liked it but they did it)lol. the other night I had even fed my girls a whole bunch of mashed potatoes prolly like 10 potatoes mashed up and cooked I dont know what had gotten into dad put I think he was super hungry for mashed potatoes that night or something and we couldn't eat them all.

 

[Renee]

It can be a protein deficiency, it can be boredom, it can just be plain meanness. Keep a close eye on it, because it can lead to cannibalism. If blood is drawn, I would immediately separate out the injured chicken.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I heard this happens a lot in the winter. My hens all look terrible because of this very same problem. When the weather gets nicer they will settle down I was told. I notice some of my hens feathers are growing back in now since I have been giving them things to do. I started a thread on this a while back and got many great ideas to try. I will search it up and send it on over to you so you can try some of them. Good luck!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Here ya go

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=119070

 

[EllyMae]

Swab 'em with pine tar, they'll quit picking! the stuff is gross.....