How to stop serious chicken pecking

[dsqard]

Quote:
This sounds like a good idea. I am going to try it!

 

[sharol]

This comes at a good time. I just started thinking about whether I was giving my girls too many (unbalanced diet) treats yesterday. I changed the plan to layer pellets soaked in hot water last night and again this morning (this morning they also got some cottage cheese). They loved it, and I know they are getting balanced diets with it. They also get scratch and BOSS during free range time to keep them in the safer (less open) areas when they first get out, but by that time they aren't starved (just ate the mushy pellets).

I didn't find this listing until this morning, and it was really timely. I hadn't even thought about feather eating being a side effect of poor diet. Duh.

 

[DawnCols]

Wow. Thanks for the tip. I assumed as long as they have access to regular feed they'll eat what they need. And now I'm a little confused--I thought they needed extra carbohydrates from scratch to keep warm in this cold weather. Can anyone clear this up?

Meanwhile, here's my experience with putting a stop to picking:

I had picking problems over the summer that were probably stress-related. My two RIRs were picking out the head feathers of my Polish Bantam until she developed a bloody wound. I tried many times separating them until the wound healed, but when I put them back together, it would start right up again.

My local feed store guy told me to use a product called Hot Pick. The label says it's for "exotic birds"--it's a spray made of hot peppers and soap. I kept them apart until the Bantam healed completely and grew her feathers back in. I used the Hot Pick on her crest when I re-integrated her with the others--first for short supervised visitations over a couple of weeks. Then I kept them together but sprayed the bantam's crest with the Hot Pick every morning for a couple of weeks. I haven't seen any signs of picking since.

 

[chickerdoodle]

What's important is extra calories--any calories will burn for the heat needed.

I give BOSS in winter but our winters don't get below freezing for too long. It gives them a little extra protein and oils for their feathers and calories for warmth.

 

[Argyll Rooster]

Hi everyone- just thought I would give you an update

on how our pecking situation is going.

A little over a week ago our "pecking" problem started

- 2 days before Christmas- we were going away from eve to the monday so decided to take the offending chicken with us. She was not very pleased at being put in a cardboard box and carted 20 miles down the road in a noisy old land rover but soon settled in for 3 days festivities living in a dog cage with plenty of straw, water and nothing for food apart from layer pellets which she could eat as much of as she liked. The 2 chickens at home being looked after by a neighbour were also on the same diet. ie no carbs just the layers pellets.

She appeared quite happy

and even produced an egg on Christmas day for us -so being confined to barracks without her pals did not seem to traumatise her too much.

When returning home we kept her in the cage but in the field so the other 2 hens could see and socialise with her for 2 days and then let things return to normal on thursday.

Apart from an occasional peck (but no feathers removed), to shift a bird, by the dominant hen no more pecking and eating of feathers has occurred.

Their feeding regime is now layers pellets in the morning and on demand during the day along with free range scavenging and greens, and a drop of corn in the evening. Everything seems to have settled down, eggs are still being layed and the hens look happy.

So a happy result

and the first of many lessons to be learnt on this chicken keeping journey.

In conclusion for any other newbies to this like myself, remember - if your hens are pecking out feathers

think diet - they maybe lacking protein- the solution that worked for us was:-

1. Isolate offending chicken.
2. Spray ALAMYCIN on any exposed skin from the pecking (also spray on areas of feathers with broken end from pecking as these appear white and can attract further pecking).
3. Put all chickens on high protein diet for 4 days (layers pellets only).
4. Re-introduce offending bird but still in cage for 2 days
5. Re-unite flock, little bit of carb ( corn) in evening and greens during the day all other feed being layers pellets.

Best wishes for 2011
Argyll Rooster

 

[believer01]

Thanks much for the info! We haven't encountered this problem yet but I'd rather prevent one from occurring!
Happy New Year!

 

[liz_s]

I appreciate the info too! I have a hard time not feeling seriously sorry for my poor girls since it is positively frigid here, so I tend to give them lots of treats... Food is love in my family

. I really like the idea of making a mash out of their pellets- it definitely seems like they prefer their food when it's wet. I do supplement with protein (chicken, actually), and give them greens, but they are looking a little thin, so I'll try to be better about making them eat their own food. I love these forums!