Hens (and rooster) getting pecked, blue stuff didn't work.

[potocki99]

I'm getting confused in my own thread.

I went to the feed store, they didn't have any spray specifically for picking - they said they've been having a hard time getting it, BUT, the old timers swear by Vick's Vapor Rub - just put some behind their neck and the smell keeps the pickers away.

Also, I bought 20% starter - they've been on a layer (DuMor) that is 16% but I figure going up a few points would be smart to at least facilitate those feathers coming back in. And, I got a Flock Block, but out of curiosity, wouldn't they eat that instead of their feed?

 

[farm-a-zootical]

Flock Block is recommended to encourage them to pick at that instead of each other, but mine did it mainly on the roost at night as pecking order punishment. Some people say that Vicks helps, but mine were hard core determined. I know I'm not alone. I've seen many people state that theirs were also bound & determined to be mini-dinosaurs.

 

[CMV]

Vick's VapoRub, pine tar and Hot Pick/No Pick are all topical solutions that work temporarily to stop picking, but each one needs to be re-applied regularly and often to be effective. Pinless peepers are like little mini chicken headgear, which can be applied once, but sometimes need to be re-applied if they are removed or fall off. The pinless peepers were the most effective of all the the products currently on the market. The peepers were not appropriate for all birds, though. I had a few birds with tiny nostrils and one with a minor facial deformity that rendered the peepers inapplicable. And peepers are not appropriate for use on free-range birds because of the visual limitations they inflict.

 

[confusedbanti]

I'm getting confused in my own thread.

I went to the feed store, they didn't have any spray specifically for picking - they said they've been having a hard time getting it, BUT, the old timers swear by Vick's Vapor Rub - just put some behind their neck and the smell keeps the pickers away.

Also, I bought 20% starter - they've been on a layer (DuMor) that is 16% but I figure going up a few points would be smart to at least facilitate those feathers coming back in. And, I got a Flock Block, but out of curiosity, wouldn't they eat that instead of their feed?

www.RoosterBoosterProducts.com everything a happy chickie needs

 

[confusedbanti]

Vick's VapoRub, pine tar and Hot Pick/No Pick are all topical solutions that work temporarily to stop picking, but each one needs to be re-applied regularly and often to be effective. Pinless peepers are like little mini chicken headgear, which can be applied once, but sometimes need to be re-applied if they are removed or fall off. The pinless peepers were the most effective of all the the products currently on the market. The peepers were not appropriate for all birds, though. I had a few birds with tiny nostrils and one with a minor facial deformity that rendered the peepers inapplicable. And peepers are not appropriate for use on free-range birds because of the visual limitations they inflict.

Question : If they pick on each other when they are young like mine (about 10 or so weeks) will they kind of 'grow' out of it once they stop picking ? Or will this come back over and over and over ? And why don't the pick on the Flock block ?? Or cabbage ? I'm confused....

 

[buckabucka]

Confusedbanti, when you say "pick on each other", are you referring to general pecking, or pulling and eating feathers?
My leghorn was pulling and eating feathers at a young age, and she never stopped. There is always some pecking at each other because of the pecking order.
I know that feather pulling can be due to boredom, lack of protein, crowding, etc., but I also think some birds never stop this behavior. Many of mine stopped picking after I started free-ranging and increased protein, but this leghorn did not. She spent a year wearing peepers and consuming higher protein feed, but went back to pulling feathers as soon as I took the peepers off. I don't think every bird can be cured of this behavior.

 

[confusedbanti]

buckabucka, yanking each others tail feathers out until they bleed ! blood dripping Now with the rooster booster pine tar seems to help and it stopped I can not free range as we have hawks living right on top of the covered run. They have a 5' x 6' house and a 30'x8' run. Plenty of room. Plenty of food. I know pecking is normal but this is not. I am just frustrated

When is this non sense going to stop ??

 

[CMV]

Question : If they pick on each other when they are young like mine (about 10 or so weeks) will they kind of 'grow' out of it once they stop picking ? Or will this come back over and over and over ? And why don't the pick on the Flock block ?? Or cabbage ? I'm confused....

Are your birds too crowded? Crowded conditions can lead to this behavior and worse (cannibalism). Are they getting enough protein? At 10 weeks their protein requirements are pretty high because of their rapid growth and feathering.

My picking started with a group of very aggressive birds that I brought in as sexed pullets. They did it from the start. That was the least of their aggression, though, These birds attacked anything that moved near them- male and females. I got bitten by several of these birds each time I tried to feed them. They would attack my hands, my feet, my clothes...The (accidental) male of the group killed a young pullet when they were 8 weeks old. He grew into a horribly aggressive bird that was culled after he jumped me one day and wouldn't back down until I beat him half to death with a walking stick. This group of birds was bad news from the start. The habit started in the aggressive group, but it readily spread to the whole flock. Before I was done I had 11 birds with large bald patches and 3 birds that were more than half-bald.

 

[farm-a-zootical]

My head banging continues, also. It looks like mine finally have a small regrowth after 6 months of pecking now that they have peepers. Time will tell. I'll leave them on for a few months, then try, one by one, to see if they revert to plucking one another. This is a good time for me to do it because free ranging is out with all the predators and there's very little to forage for, anyway. The ones that weren't effected have their own coop because I know if they picked up the habit that they would end up doing the same. They're all so sweet to me; but this is like a chicken bad drug habit. They're hooked! I know this behavior wouldn't have lasted a week with my grandmother, there would be a dumpling kettle calling their names.

 

[confusedbanti]

My head banging continues, also. It looks like mine finally have a small regrowth after 6 months of pecking now that they have peepers. Time will tell. I'll leave them on for a few months, then try, one by one, to see if they revert to plucking one another. This is a good time for me to do it because free ranging is out with all the predators and there's very little to forage for, anyway. The ones that weren't effected have their own coop because I know if they picked up the habit that they would end up doing the same. They're all so sweet to me; but this is like a chicken bad drug habit. They're hooked! I know this behavior wouldn't have lasted a week with my grandmother, there would be a dumpling kettle calling their names.

dumpling kettle, that's cute. I was wondering, could I put those peepers on a young hen like mine (10 weeks or so?) Are they staying on ? Maybe I should try that instead the daily Pine Tar on their butts ?