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

[farm-a-zootical]

I hope someone else chimes in here. Mine didn't start aggressively until about they were 7 months old, when I had to curb their free ranging. It was almost like temper tantrums on steroids. I have to sludge from coop to coop in the snow because they had to be separated. A real downer. We're actually afraid now to integrate the others back into the bigger coop & run because they've gotten used to their smaller quarters & seem to prefer it to the cannibal coop. At what age did other owners try the peepers?

 

[confusedbanti]

Oh lord...integrating and reintroducing hens back into the big coop....good luck with that one! Last year we added 4 new hens into the existing flock. We had a WAR. I mean a WAR. They grabbed the newbies by the feathers and held them down on the ground....picking on them it was something I never seen before. Dragging them all around the coop. We had to separate them putting them in a smaller coop inside the pen so they could 'sniff' and check each other out for about 1 week. After that we opened the door and War continued... The newbies had to sleep outside we kept on putting them inside the coop every night for 3 (!) weeks ! After about 1 month everyone settled down.....you are right to be worried....
I've decided not to go with the peepers. I will keep on putting the nasty lotion on their butts for the next 3 weeks. I am beside myself and so very sad

 

[farm-a-zootical]

The best of luck to you! Keep us posted. Perhaps you'll have luck with something that will help us out!

 

[buckabucka]

There is an interesting thread, I think in Random Ramblings, about demanding to know what hatcheries feed their breeding stock. The gist is that hatcheries are breeding malnourished birds that are born with protein difficiencies and feather picking habits from day 1. Not a solution to your problem, but one of many possible causes, and an interesting thought.

Mine did not get the pinless peepers until they were 10 months old. I had put up with the leghorn pulling feathers basically for all of those months, but at the end of a long cooped up winter, others began to pick up her bad habit. That was when I increased protein and started letting them free-range a bit for the first time. It broke everyone of the habit except for the leghorn and one Welsummer. They got the peepers.

Both had the peepers removed about a week ago, - the leghorn because of an injury, and the Welsummer because I wanted to see if she was rehabilitated. So far, the Welsummer has not been seen picking, but the leghorn is right back at it, and pretty steadily too. I hope to get the peepers back on her this evening.

The thread I was talking about above was also saying the soy is not the best usuable protein source. I feed a high-protein feed, but I'm sure it must be soy based. Whatever the reason, it only seems to be an issue for this leghorn, and since the peepers worked, they are coming back.

I know people who debeaked to deal with this issue. I'm not condoning that, just throwing all the options out there. I do think they sell peepers in different sizes if you ever pursue that.
Good luck to everyone!

 

[farm-a-zootical]

Thank you for the information. Very interesting. Mine just got the peepers after everything else failed at 11months. Mine are Tetra Tints, bred for laying, and that they do. My family has often wondered if they aren't proteining themselves out, so to speak, & super malnourished of protein, therefore. However, we are not scientists, just frazzled-out plucker owners. They are such sweet hens, too. A shame.

 

[CMV]

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 ?

You can get the peepers in different sizes. I got standard sized peepers, but there are some available for smaller birds and for different types of birds. They stay on pretty well. The only time I lost them was when a group of birds would start pulling on one bird's peeper. They could sometimes wrestle them off. And then sometimes one would just randomly fall off after a period of time.

 

[confusedbanti]

You can get the peepers in different sizes. I got standard sized peepers, but there are some available for smaller birds and for different types of birds. They stay on pretty well. The only time I lost them was when a group of birds would start pulling on one bird's peeper. They could sometimes wrestle them off. And then sometimes one would just randomly fall off after a period of time.

Thank you so much for your help! You sure are a sweet lady

 

[farm-a-zootical]

I appreciate everyone that has responded to your thread! Especially since so many have 'been there, done that'. I, myself, welcome any ideas on this subject. It gets 'curiouser & curiouser'.