I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[azygous]

Can you spend some time observing the flock? It could be the brown ones are picking each other. As the pin feathers come in, they won't last long if they pluck them right back out. Usually the pin feathers are the most vulnerable because of the rich blood supply they contain. Like eating bone marrow. Look closely at the bald areas. Do you see any pin feathers at all? Note where they are if you do see any, then check next day to see if they've disappeared.

Most feather picking activity, I've noticed, takes place later on in the afternoons when the chickens are relaxing and socializing and preening. The pickers take advantage of this and sneak in and nab feathers.

By the way, it's normal for the peepers to appear to crush straight combs, but it doesn't hurt them. Your black was probably in a huff from something else.

 

[equius]

We have about 18 new chicks, I added about 1 oz. of Forco to a quart of chick starter and they are growing like weeds.

 

[azygous]

Got pinless peepers on seven hens, and still feathers are getting shredded! So in sheer desperation, I broke out the Rooster Booster Pick No More. It's terrible stuff, like dark blue axel grease, stains feathers and ruins them until next molt. But I figured it's better than looking at bald necks and backs.

The rooster Izzy got some on his neck, his momma Joycie got some on her neck, and Flo got some on her back. Yes, Flo the serial feather picker, worst of the worst, is getting her feathers shredded.

I was doing a "group hug", where a bunch of hens crowd in to get cuddled, when Sylvia, one of the Sussex, sidled up to Joycie and began mowing her neck feathers right where the ghastly, evil-smelling Pick No More was. I finger-pecked her a couple hard ones and she wandered off. Poor Joycie has been trying to preen the greasy stuff off her neck since I put it on her, and now I see it has absolutely no effect at deterring feather pickers.

Now I know why people kill their chickens.

 

[zinia8]

Got pinless peepers on seven hens, and still feathers are getting shredded! So in sheer desperation, I broke out the Rooster Booster Pick No More. It's terrible stuff, like dark blue axel grease, stains feathers and ruins them until next molt. But I figured it's better than looking at bald necks and backs.

The rooster Izzy got some on his neck, his momma Joycie got some on her neck, and Flo got some on her back. Yes, Flo the serial feather picker, worst of the worst, is getting her feathers shredded.

I was doing a "group hug", where a bunch of hens crowd in to get cuddled, when Sylvia, one of the Sussex, sidled up to Joycie and began mowing her neck feathers right where the ghastly, evil-smelling Pick No More was. I finger-pecked her a couple hard ones and she wandered off. Poor Joycie has been trying to preen the greasy stuff off her neck since I put it on her, and now I see it has absolutely no effect at deterring feather pickers.

Now I know why people kill their chickens.

i am right there with you on this. rooster booster doesn't work. I am going to axe them all.

 

[Glasshen]

Perhaps they could go of a ride to some place and come back in neat packaging. Then you would have room for innocent chicks...I can't get on board with this, as I haven't identified the perps yet. But it is in my mind. Everyone is acting poorly, that may be because of spring and too much snow, perhaps they will reform soon with nicer weather and more space to wander.

 

[azygous]

It sure is tempting to start all over with some innocent baby chicks. However, last year I got four baby chicks, and now at age nine months, three out of the four are feather pickers and wearing peepers.

It was suggested on another thread that salt added to the feed might help with feather picking. Anyone ever hear of that or tried it?

 

[austinm]

Thanks I don't have a feather picking problem but I do have a poop eating dog

 

[azygous]

I'll take a poop eating dog over a feather picking chicken any day.

My friends with dogs swear Forco controls their dogs' poop eating, since poop eating is mostly a drive to obtain nutrients they're lacking.

 

[Sharon Bee]

An update on my feather pickers.

All of mine have peepers on but three of the browns. They are worse since I returned from vacation. So even though i thought they were the victims, seems like they are the culprits!

So the peepers will go on them now. Their poor necks are bare. I did see some pin feathers coming in though on their backs.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Poop eating dogs: get better dog food and/or ferment your chickens' feed. That way they get more out of it and less nutritional value passes with the feces.

I stumbled across something a few minutes ago... wasn't even looking but thought I would share. From feedipedia, I just happened to be looking at carrots.

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Fresh carrots

In Denmark, carrots have become common as forage in organic egg production. In organic laying hens fed a diet supplemented with 70g/d of orange, yellow or purple carrots, a decrease in certain performance parameters (egg and yolk weight for all carrot colours, egg mass for orange carrots) but increased yolk colour parameters and carotenoid content was noted. Purple carrots were beneficial for egg laying rate and egg and yolk mass production (Hammershøj et al., 2006; Hammershøj et al., 2010). Giving egg-laying hens access to maize silage, barley-pea silage and carrots as foraging materials decreased pecking behaviour, thus improving animal welfare (Steenfeldt et al., 2007).
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So, perhaps I should try some purple carrots and then make silage with corn and also with a barley-pea combination served with purple carrots would do the trick. Ya think? Maybe?