I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[azygous]

Maybe I've really found the miracle cure to feather-picking! I'm confident in admitting I've tried everything on this earth to combat the problem, especially with my serial picker Flo, my charming yet aggravating three-year old EE.

Exactly seven weeks ago, I fed the flock it's very first serving of fermented feed, a natural ferment utilizing water, ACV, and common chicken feed. Supposedly, it is supposed to free up many more of the nutrients in the feed, thus heading off any flock problems caused by nutritional deficiencies, such as feather picking and eating.

Flo was my worst feather picker. Anyone who has the time to read through this entire thread will learn how frenzied and determined she was in pursuing her addiction. Since beginning FF, she hasn't shown any inclination whatsoever to pick feathers. Nor has any of the rest of the flock. Flo's behavior especially has appeared to have changed. Now when I walk into the run, instead of searching for Flo only to find her standing behind another chicken systematically thinning the target butt of its feathers, she can now be found in a quiet spot by herself, enjoying a dirt bath.

I can't recall when she's ever gone seven weeks without liberating a feather. Feeding fermented feed may be the miracle cure for feather picking I've been searching for! If Flo goes , not just seven more weeks, but seven months without reverting to feather picking, I will declare FF the cure!

 

[pegm]

Azygous, do you have an update on ff and feather plucking? Has the serial feather plucker finally been pruned? I hope so.

I took the peepers off Meredith this afternoon, and so far so good, we shall see. We were away for a week and to make it simpler for the gentleman looking after the girls I took them off ff, and am now slowly putting them back on it. Taking 4 days to get them to full ff, maybe a little fast, but I think it will be OK.

 

[azygous]

It's been two weeks short of three months that I've been feeding fermented feed. And so far, everyone still has all the glorious new feathers they grew during molt!

Yes, Flo has been a perfect angel! In the afternoons, when she would normally have been stalking the wild feather, she's now in a quiet dirt hole, behaving like a sane hen.

How long before we can declare FF the Miracle Cure?

I keep thinking of all the people who cull hens like Flo, that maybe could have been cured by feeding them fermented feed.

 

[pegm]

I know it sounds like a loooooong time, maybe at three months it can be considered "plausible" and six months it could be "confirmed". Mythbusters coming out in me. I sure hope it works and you can declare it a success! Time will tell with Meredith, this will be the first full day and they are almost on full rations of ff.

 

[Maurice11]

well, so far, Feather Fixer has worked. They are not laying as well, but seem to have stopped plucking each other. HOWEVER, I still have not put the most severly plucked chickens with the rest of the flock, although 'the rest' have not plucked each other. We will see.
,

 

[Sharon Bee]

Well sadly to say my chickens are worse. There are now bald spots on the backs of the brown ones and other disheveled looking spots. I've changed the light bulb to red. Maybe that will help. I think we might have to take one of the roosts down to see what happens. It will be upsetting for them as they won't all fit on just one.

 

[Sharon Bee]

Where do I find FF?

 

[azygous]

Where do I find FF?

You make it. It's simple and easy. Get a big plastic pail and fill it halfway with warm water, add a couple glugs of ACV with the unfiltered "mother", some feed (whatever you normally feed your chickens), maybe some BOSS and some scratch grain, and mix it well. It should be soupy to begin with. It will absorb the water over the next 24 hours, and begin to ferment. It will start smelling like wine and will be the consistency of oatmeal. You can begin feeding it as soon as it starts sending up tiny bubbles.

Most people feed a half a cup of FF per chicken per day. Mine demand a little more than that. Usually that's all you need to feed them. For more info go look at Beekissed's thread on fermented feed on Feeding and Watering your Flock forum.

PS Do NOT use Feather Fixer in FF! It smells awful when it's fermented! But I'm glad it's working for you , Maurice!

 

[Maurice11]

ye gads! Maybe they need 'aprons' to allow their feathers to grow, or isolate them or SOMETHING. Changing feed or supplementing with more protein will take some time. For example, I determined my chickens with white feathers (I have a flock of 20, 5 of them with some or all white feathers) were being plucked, so isolated them. They don't harm each other, and the others have been fed Feather Fixer, seems to work. Everyone tells me there is no 'cure'. Perhaps others have a better solution. As I have said, this is my third flock, never had the problem before. Yes, they have plenty room, etc., etc. Large house, with laying pens, roosts (bleachers as I call them) and large outside, dirt area. Who knew?

 

[azygous]

Maurice, I don't think anyone really knows what causes feather picking. To try to fix the problem, a lot of us have all but thrown the kitchen sink into the mix, hoping something would work. And what works for one flock, may not work for another. But I think the important thing is to TRY before you just jump in and cull the culprit(s), especially if you have an emotional attachment like I have with Flo.

It certainly sounds like you're giving it everything you've got.