I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[azygous]

Lacy, you need snap-ring pliers, which work the opposite of regular pliers, to install the bits. Regular pliers won't work. But some people can spread the prongs with strong fingers. I think they must have someone else hold the chicken, though.

You'll see a tiny "o" on each side of the end of the bit that has the prongs. The pliers head fits nicely into those, and when you squeeze the plier handles together, the head opens up the bit prongs so you can slip them easily into the beak holes on the chicken. You need to make sure that the "bit" on the opposite end slides in between the upper and lower beak. Your hen will be very mad if you forget this and the bit ends up on top or below the beak.

I find it helpful to wrap my victim, 'er subject, tightly in a bath towel, immobilizing the wings an feet, and bring one end of the towel up and cover the eyes so they don't see the pliers coming at their beak.

If you've never used these weird pliers before, you should practice with them before you try to do the bit installation. The fact that they open when you squeeze the handles is alien to the way our brains work, so you need to develop coordination. It's really quite simple and easy.

I was so worried about them learning how to eat with the bit, but all four of mine have adjusted very well, and all are able to eat all they need as long as I provide deep containers so they can dip their beaks in and scoop up the food and oyster shell. They have no problem eating stuff off soft sand and soil.

 

[bernaboo111]

hey Jim Rea, where can you buy the stuff? We have an ace hardware, Bomgaars For animals, but where exactly can you buy it?

 

[equius]

www.forcocolorado.com

 

[equius]

I assume you are talking about Forco. If you are looking for the Bumpabits just send me an email at [email protected].

 

[Holde]

o.k. now I read a lot about the feather picking what my girls do..
MY QUESTION..do I have to pull the quills out (the rest got eaten) or will they fall out when they get new feathers?
PLEASE SOME ONE HELP ME

 

[Lacy Blues]

Those quills should fall out at molting time, once the weather starts to turn colder. If you want to pull them out that is fine, realize your bird probably won't like it but it should ensure a new covering of feathers in about 6 weeks. If you can find the offending feather eater and you're not too emotionally attached, you might want to consider ending the torment of your other birds as I think most of us have found on this thread that there is no way to get them to reform.

Unless you buy some of the "bumpa-bits" offered by Forco.

 

[Maurice11]

Amen!

 

[azygous]

Time for a Flo update. I had entertained a hunch. when I installed the Bumpa-bit on Flo, that she would find a way to adjust and overcome the device given time. Well, she did.

And not only Flo, but all four of the Sussex, those demons, adjusted to the bits and went back to eating and feather-picking as if they weren't wearing anything in their mouths.

So, a couple of observations and conclusions about feather picking: I'm afraid it's a problem with no final and lasting solution, other than culling the offender.

That said, we can take advantage of a chicken's ability to forget the bad behavior if enough time lapses, if you can find a way to disrupt the bad behavior until she forgets it.

Therefore, I switched the bits out for pinless peepers on the offenders who had overcome the bits. The peepers seem to be working for the time being.

One other thing, it's advisable to monitor the bit wearers for beak growth. I noticed that a few of the hens who had their beaks trimmed in the past, had developed overly long upper beaks after wearing the Bumpa-bit, necessitating further trimming. The ones who had never had beaks trimmed didn't seem to be affected in the same way.

I really, really wish there was a miracle cure for feather-picking. I really do. There isn't. All we can hope to do is manage the problem with short-term means.

 

[mommajac]

I can honestly say I have given up! I have had so much stress and worry over their baldness and feather picking that it simply isn't worth it for me. I honestly thought that given the chance to roam this summer out of their coop they would be too busy to pick on each other. Possibly it was a winter issue since it was my first winter with the flock....wrong. Their necks are still stripped of feathers and their tail feathers are broken and missing. They do delight in Forco, flock block, occasional cabbages, watermelons, and over 6 acres to romp and play. The mean girls still choose to demand a certain pecking order and I will let them have it. With 8 chickens I am blessed with 5-8 eggs daily (so they are doing their job). If they choose to look ugly--then so be it! Either I let go and let them peck--or I am going to end up in my own coop with a white jacket! I give!!!

 

[azygous]

You do run out of patience. If it weren't for the one Buff Brahma victim, Joycie, none of the rest of the hens wold be wearing peepers and bits. I know blaming the victim isn't kind, but I keep wishing Joycie would just stand up for herself and run these bullies off.

The good news is we're nearing molting season, and they should all be alternating looking picked over and new and handsome. At least for a little while after they get their new feathers. Joycie is growing new neck and back feathers, and they're all stained purple on the tips from all the Blu-kote I've been painting on her bald spots.