How to get the chickens to stop pecking at timid rooster crest scabbed

[newbiechickenowner]

Any tricks or stuff to put on the roosters crest to get the girls to stop pecking at it? He has a BEAUTIFUL crest, but he is very timid and it is all bit up on the tips...scabbed. The other rooster has a big beautiful crest too, but not a MARK on it! He is more dominant. I have never witnessed anyone bothering the rooster at all so it has to be at roosting time or when I am not seeing it. He hangs up high on the roost during the day too so he is not down with the rest of them so it only makes sense that it is more at roosting time....something like that. The two roosters seem fine with eachother....they act as if the other one is not there. They do not fight in anyway. All along the edge of it is scabbed or red from little pecks now. Please any advice would be helpful

 

[OhMyItsAndyy]

There are anti pecking ointments.
I know one called "Rooster booster" i think... Plus i'm not sure if someone said tea tree oil worked... Fowl taste i guess
worth a go anyhow
Hopefully someone else will rely who knows of other things to try

 

[azygous]

Here's a concoction I just came up with to combat pecking and feather picking. I had one little pullet who had her comb torn halfway off this week, and it kept on getting torn and pecked until I separated her, let it heal, then spread this goopy mixture on it that I invented. I also am using it on another older hen who has been picking herself bald on her throat.

You can get a salve from the feed store called "Peck-no-more", which is pine tar. I was afraid to use it, though, fearing I'd never be able to get it out of their feathers. So I invented my own concoction.

A chemist friend told me that, while red pepper will repel mammals, it's grape flavoring that repels birds. So I took one of those grape Kool-aid packets of dry grape drink mix and mixed the contents with two tablespoons of Vicks vapo-rub, which has turpentine oil in it - figured it might mimic pine tar. I've been only using it for a couple days now, but so far, it's working 100 % . The pullet has gone unmolested, and the older hen has pin feathers half an inch long where she's been completely bald for months.

It may be too early for me to be suggesting this to others, but it's certainly cheap and simple to try. If it works, great, and if not, then there's alway the pine tar.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

well I am going to try these. Please let me know how it is going as you go along. I have been using the blu kote for the feathers....three have bare backs down by their tales, but I didn't want to use that on his crest. PLUS, I am not so sure that it is working 100% at all. They killed one of the auraconas in a matter of hours. it was awful. The other two auraconas are bare backed at the base. The blukote seems to definately help, but they are not growing new pin feathers at all. Still bare. Plus, spraying them with this stuff twice a day seems like they are just waiting for it to "wear off enough" to start bugging them again. I also increased their protein in their diet....(see other streams if questions on that). Thanks so much and keep coming with the ideas. SO helpful!

 

[newbiechickenowner]

Azygous...I was wondering what luck you were having with your concoction still? I actually ended up combining vicks vaporub with cayenne pepper....I didn't use the grape only because they love grapes and so I kind of changed it midstream (no idea if koolaid grape and grapes would even taste the same). Anyway, I have been putting that on the four of them and, it appears that in some patches, they actually have pin feathers starting to emerge....only time wiill tell. I have been doing this for 5-6 days now I think? I have noticed that the rooster will not even prim himself around there at all so he clearly doesn't like it...it has affected him in that he stays in the coop right now and is quite quiet, but, I think that that will all return once he is not being treated and grows some cover back. Out of the other four, three seem to leave it alone, while one of them, the astolorp, actually cleans her own feathers with it on... They definately got used to the blu-kote and I would still find active bleeding while using that where more feathers were pulled out. With this, I have not....knock on wood....seen any active bleeding in almost a week! Very encouraged! Hopefully, no one will come on here and say that Vicks is lethal to them or something because that would stink! I am hoping we have some sort of fix. I am hopeful that this along with the increased protein in their diet will help stop the plucking/eating for good. Well....one can hope right????????

 

[newbiechickenowner]

Also, has anyone tried the tea tree oil? I am very curious about that....especially if this stops working after awhile........

 

[Eagle2026]

There is also an ointment called HOT PECK, works great even on pheasants!

 

[Lollipop]

Simple Noxema face cream will do the trick.........Pop

 

[speckledhen]

Have tried all except the Noxema, including the Hot Pick, Anti Pick (made with coal tar), Vet Rx, etc. None of them have worked. Both my BR and Delaware roosters combs and wattles stay scabby.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

I am very upset. Henry the beautiful Rhode Island Red Rooster died today. I don't know what is going on. I don't know what is going on or what to make of all that has happened. My girlfriend has a new flock and has had no problems. She is convinced that they got something while being raised in the persons barn the first few months before I got them. At first, several seemed to have a respiratory thing as well as I found roundworms. Then, I treated the roundworms as well as used Duramycin for the respiratory....all cleaned up very well. Henry was ill with that to the point you could hear him breathing. But, with the duramycin, all symptoms went away for 2 months for everyone. Jewel was always picked on, even before we got her. However, all lived harmoniously until the last week or two of December (from October). I posted on here that they started to pull out a couple of the birds back/butt feathers. They very quickly killed Jewel. I changed their diet according to the recommendations...more protein. I also started blu-kote on the pecked backs....this seemed to be OK, but, nothing would grow back in and I felt that they were getting "used to it". So, I have the two auracanas with pecked backs as well as the sole Brahma and the sole astrolorp. Then, Henry the rooster started getting plucked. HOwever, weird thing is that I rarely EVER catch them doing anything to eachother at all!!!!! That is what is so confusing. So, I tried this cayenne pepper and vicks vapor rub. Henry seemed to be failing over the past few days....didn't know what else to do. The girls seem to have pin feathers growing back with the use of the combo, but he just seemed to get sicker. Then, today, he died. I don't know if there was something wrong that was not available to a human, but they knew it, or, if, god forbid, the vicks didn't agree with him or something stupid like that. Who knows. I don't want to use the mixture now on any of them. I have no idea of that even has anything to do with it, but, you hate to have any loss in your flock and especially when you just have no idea what is going on in the flock. I have searched symptoms and have found nothing.