How to renew feather covering on my flock.

[MeMotherHen]

Hello,

I have now been a proud chicken mother for year now. I love my chickens and since they are my pets, and I care about them so much...

I have 8 Aracaunas (one being the rooster), 7 New Hampshire Reds, and 8 White Plymouth Rocks. They have a 12x12' space inside and a 3,000 square foot run...allowing them to have more than enough room.

They are fed with organic feed, scratch, flock blocks, scraps, oyster shells, and grit...

Over their first year they have all established a very bad pecking each others feathers out habbit...even with saddles, they keep pecking each other clean...this has ben going on for so long and I've tried everything I know of.

I NEED HELP...SO BAD. I want my birds to be happier and healthier and not have to be a covered all the time.

ANY IDEAS PLEASE PLEASE....I AM DESPERATE...

much appreciated,
Thank you,

MeMotherHen

 

[sumi]

This may help: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/144815/pinless-peeper-poultry-blinders

 

[Sweet T]

I don't know what to do about them pecking feathers. I've been told they'll do that if they need extra protein in their diets.
I just got my very first rooster for free, because his old flock had pecked out all his tail feathers. I was told to give them cat food for extra protein, to help them regrow missing feathers.
I'm like you, tho, all organic. I decided to scramble some eggs and give them that, instead of cat food. Seems a little better on ingredients, while still being high in protein. I hope this helps!

 

[MeMotherHen]

I forgot to mention that I give them as many dried mealworms i can afford every week, with the occasional live ones for extra protein.

Thank you 'Sumi' for the link, I'm not too keen on the pinless peepers, i know they are an option, but they are kind of my last resort right now...

Thank you 'Sweet T' for the info. Also, just a fact for you...my roo Ricky got pecked clean by his ladies as well, and I kept him in a cage with food and water and lots of dried mealworms for a little over a month and he healed right up. He grew all his feathers back and now has his fluffy butt again.

Thanks again,