I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[arienwolf]

This is an interesting threat. I would like to know more on how the test flocks are doing. It's the only way to know how it will affect the chickens since the product does not say for poultry.
But lets be honest we all feed the chickens something... or a lot of things... that do not say "For poultry".

Yogurt- Chickens wont get this in the "wild" and I have never seen a chicken latch on to a cow teat for Milk. (Some people give Milk to their chickens) I mean considering that a lot of people use it, swear by it, and the chickens enjoy it, The Yogurt industry is stupid for not putting "Also for Poultry!" on their little containers.

Cheese
Cat food or Dog food. (As of right now there is a lot of stipulation about what IS good for a dog or cats stomach, and what IS bad. For example they say its Bad for a dog to eat cat food, Too much protein.(Or some such thing) And they say its bad for dogs to eat Corn which is a big filler in a lot of dog foods. Not to mention the dreaded "animal by products" """Yuck"""" argument

)
(Big rule of thumb is; if any of the first 3 ingredients listed on the dog food is corn or corn meal, It's a very "bad" food. Because corn, as you know, is not easily digested) I have my own reservations about such things which we wont get into for fear of writing a short story.

Mavrik, you're arguing the point that giving FORCO can be bad for poultry in the long run because it has not been tested on poultry just "ok'd" for horses and bulls. But the fact of the matter is most of us give our chickens things they Probably "shouldn't" have because we believe them to be good for them. In One way Or Another.
There are a few people that are doing the research and putting their flocks out there for it. Lets all hope it works out well

I know depending on how this goes, if it turns out well and I ever have a feather picking problem I have this information to go back to.

 

[OLCHOOK]

If you're concerned about adding protein, pre or postbiotics or any other worry, try adding a small amount of dolomite into the morning mash. Yes, the same dolomite as you would add to the garden.

This has proven in Australia to stop feather picking dead in its tracks with no adverse effects.

May I suggest a control group of feather pickers be feed good organic feed plus dolomite and the other group the FORCO product. I bet that both groups will exhibit the same results.

Linz

 

[Debbz]

If you're concerned about adding protein, pre or postbiotics or any other worry, try adding a small amount of dolomite into the morning mash. Yes, the same dolomite as you would add to the garden.

This has proven in Australia to stop feather picking dead in its tracks with no adverse effects.

May I suggest a control group of feather pickers be feed good organic feed plus dolomite and the other group the FORCO product. I bet that both groups will exhibit the same results.

Linz

Wow, thanks Olchook! Dolomite is a natural magnesium source that lowers acidity. Makes sense. Maybe this is 'miracle' number 2.

 

[Debbz]

Chickiemomy, your points are noted. Now if I may speak plainly too...

It seems to me very odd that any company wouldn't package up this product as chicken supplement after all their reassurances of it being safe and effective for the purpose. What's the problem with doing that, and hugely increasing sales in the process? It makes me wonder if the encouragement given to people here to use it on their layers is just a cheap way to collect some anecdotal evidence to support its use with chickens, without any expense or responsibility being taken by the company for running their own proper controlled trials on it.

Again, just my opinion, but IF that's what is happening here, then the least Forco could do is to offer the product FREE to members here to trial under Forco's directions, with appropriate disclaimers being made by them, and with the information gleaned being potentially financially beneficial to them as a trial, on their way to repackaging and re-branding it as a legitimate poultry product.

I'm astonished that it seems to be okay in the U.S. for a company to be so publicly promoting off-label use of any product involving eggs and chickens for human consumption. If this public online discussion was occurring about an Australian product of similar type, the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) would be right onto it by now.

And in case the price lists and places to purchase are repeated again, it could pay to keep this in mind -
BYC Rule # 7 - Advertising Abuse
Do not advertise your products or services outside of the appropriate areas of the forum or too frequently. (25 penalty points)

And that's my 2c worth.

 

[azygous]

Thanks to everyone for steering this thread back to a very productive track! Such terrific questions and ideas and amazing information!

 

[azygous]

I want to do an update on the great Forco experiment.

One of the things that has occurred is that Flo, the former champion feather picker, has substantially grown in size besides continuing to show no interest in resuming her former career of shaving feathers.

One of my four youngest, though, has started attacking butt feathers, even on high-ranking flock members. I've started to distribute Forco to the four youngest independently from the rest to make sure they're getting their share.

I am tempted to conclude that Flo, who is 25 months old, has increased so noticeably in size because the Forco is increasing her nutrient absorption, and she was undersized up to this point because of this. She is now as large as the other EE, who has always been a very big girl. I think Flo was literally starving, and that would account for her frenzied behavior and tendency to try to find nourishment any way she could, including cannibalizing her flock mates.

Have others who are taking part in this experiment noticed any changes yet that you wish to report?

 

[azygous]

I have a new benefit of Forco supplement to report!

At least it appears that my flocks poop, which has always been on the runny side, has solidified, all of them, into nice normal birdy-type nodules. I've been noticing this phenomena for a number of weeks now. I notice it especially every morning when I pull the poop boards out of the coop to scrape and clean them. Even my SS hen Geobett, who has had squirty poo since I brought her home as a day-old, has gone from liquid to solid. That alone would be earth-shaking.

Those of you who are trying Forco, can I ask you to pay attention to the flock's poop, and report in if you notice any changes?

By the way, Forco now has references to chickens and other avians http://forcocolorado.com/ and they link to BYC! Thanks to all the contributers to this thread for making that happen!

 

[azygous]

It's been nearly five months that my flock has been on the Forco supplement to try to combat feather picking, and I wanted to give an update and see how others are doing with Forco with their flocks.

In a nutshell, I believe the Forco is working splendidly. With the exception of two relapses, my main picker Flo appears to have been cured. The two relapses occurred when she went into molt and when I was building the new pen, both of which contributed a great deal of stress. I reinstalled pinless peepers on Flo, and they came back off a month ago, and there's been no resumption in picking.

I had one other hen relapse during that time. She was shaving the feathers off the rooster's neck. She wore peepers during this stressful period, too, and they've since come off, and she hasn't resumed picking.

And the side-effect of more solid poops during the night has continued.

I'm giving them an ounce and a half of Forco for fifteen chickens each morning, sprinkled over their feed in the feeder trays. They all still love the taste and all eat it.

In conclusion, I'm still sold on it as a solution for feather picking.

 

[equius]

Thanks, we have packaged it one pound jars and are changing the label to reflect it's use for poultry and other animals.

Jim Rea

Forco Colorado

 

[Lacy Blues]

I just found this thread tonight and have read all of it. This is great information and I will be looking to get some Forco. Thanks for this info.