Help!!

[fernandez0067]

I just posted a topic in the Emergencies/Diseases etc. topic and someone suggested that I also post in this portion because someone here may be able to help.

I have about 17 hens and 1 rooster in a coop that is 10' x 12' with a run that is 8' x 24'. The coop is slightly heated with a small ceramic heater for those really cold Upstate NY days.

I feed the chickens Dumor Layer pellets 16% which is available at all times, and scratch every day sometimes every other day. They get a box of romaine scraps from a friend who owns a resturant atleast once a week. Sometimes it can be everyday. They also get whatever scraps I have left over at home.

Just about a month ago all of my chickens started to really peck on each other and now its getting worse and worse every day. Some of them have no feathers at all on thier backs.

I tried the "blue lotion" which someone had suggested but it hasnt helped one bit. There dosent seem to be any ring leaders they are all pecking on eachother.

My poor chickens look terrible.

Someone suggested that I hand up cabbage heads because this may be due to winter boredom. Also, someone else said to add cat food to their diet for extra protein since they are eating the feathers not just plucking them.

Any other ideas ?

 

[horselover98]

when one of my hens picks on another some feathers sometimes come out on the back and head and i also notice that when my rooster and the hen that gets picked on mate, the rooster is aggressive when he holds on to her head.I put table salt in their water and we use a red heat lamp and that seems to help when the hen picks on her.

 

[crtrlovr]

table salt? ETA I know what table salt is, just can't figure out what it's supposed to do for chickens. Too much salt will poison them by giving them salt toxicosis, just like it will indoor pet birds...

 

[horselover98]

yeah when they were chicks there was this special energizing salt to put in their water and now we put in table salt in their water and it works. oh yeah too much salt but we put in just two teaspoons for 3 gallons of water.