I have tried EVERYTHING!! Help!

Find out who the major pickers are and separate them from the rest. Usually there is one or even two that instigate and removing or separating them for at least a week will help tons.

 

Are they pecking the feathers out of the others? I had one that pecked the others so bad that they had bare bottoms (they looked so pathetic). She was also eating the feathers and I also tried everything I had read about boredom, over crowding, animal protein etc etc. I only had one that was the offending chicken but I originally thought it was 3 of them because I had 3 brahmas and they all looked identical, so I had to sit there one day and really watch what was going on and finally realized that it was only the one meany.

I tried chicken jail for 1 week, then put her back and she started up right away. So I put her back in chicken jail, this time moving the jail out of sight of the others and kept her there for 2 weeks. When I put her back with the others this time, a new pecking order had been established, so when she tried to peck at the others (almost immediately and nastier this time) the others really ganged up on her. But I guess she was too strong and the others backed down after only a 1/2 hour. She stared attacking them and within an hour I had to separate her to prevent real injury. I put her back in chicken jail and rehomed her the next day. I never tried pinless peepers. I didn't have any and I was just sick of her by that point. She was always a bully and I just didn't want to deal with her anymore. It's been nice and calm since she's been gone.

 

That's so odd. They do have a ton of space compared to my girls, and we don't have pecking. Have you thought about trading some birds or getting a more dominant roo?

 

It's a hard habit to break. My chickens look like they have been at war. I've tried everything under the sun & cannot stop this behaviour. Know one really knows how to stop it. The anti pic lotion works but you will go broke buying this stuff it has to be reapplied everyday are it won't work. Do not get this stuff in your eyes you will think you are going blind.

 

Long-shot:

I've not tried this, but have read it recently, possibly on BYC.. Apply bakin-soda to all chickens. Not sure how this would work, but? Perhaps search forum/internet for further reference?

Good Luck, hope it improves in your chicken land..

 

A couple good suggestions so far.
Be careful about cat food for extra protein. Read the label. Most are in the 9-11% range. It's rare to find a cat food that's higher in protein than chicken feed. Fish, mealworms, field peas and BOSS are much higher in protein.

If it were me and I identified the culprits and tried everything you have done, they would be next sunday's chicken and dumplings.

good luck.

 

I would start dividing them up between the different areas that you have and observing them to try and pinpoint which are the culprits and then make decisions from that point. I imagine that you have some instigators and then just followers. You've got lots of room to work with. You just have to systematically work it out. I don't think there is going to be anything flock wide that is going to fix it.
sharon