I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[azygous]

Hollering at your feather picker may not be a miracle cure, but it appears it may work.

I haven't taken my hollering at Flo as a method of curtailing her feather picking very seriously until today. Up until now, I couldn't really say it was cause and effect, rather than Flo coincidentally getting tired of drilling for feathers for the time being. But I spent some time pursuing this, and it seems to get results.

It was mid-morning, Flo and Joycie were spending time away from the flock in their private enclosure, otherwise known as chicken jail. I was just outside the run's back window, sweeping up pine needles. I heard Joycie's "Gaack!", and looked in to see Flo drilling her neck. I hollered, "Flo!" in a loud voice so she could hear me through the window. Flo looked up, upon hearing my voice and stopped.

A few seconds later, she took another stab at Joycie's neck. I hollered again. Flo stopped and looked up. This time I stood there and watched. The second I saw Flo, unfreeze and look at Joycie's neck, I hollered, "Flo!" She froze and looked up.

This time, Flo moved away from Joycie, and didn't go back to picking feathers for the rest of the day, as far as I could tell. But I was within hearing of the run and never heard Joycie's squawking, "Gaack!" and whenever I checked in with them, Flo was always doing something away from Joycie. She appears not to dare pick anyone else's feathers.

This technique may have merit if you can spare some time for your feather picker and hound her like I do Flo. I don't know if it's necessary for your picker to know her name like Flo does, but she probably will respond to a single voice command, like "No!"

The question is, will hollering affect the other chickens? It does appear to startle my other chickens when I holler at Flo, but I doubt that it's interrupting any particular focused activity such as Flo's. Flo now seems to respond to my hollering her name when she is feather picking, and she interrupts the behavior. It would be interesting if some of you could try this, and see if you get any reaction from your picker.

Please report the results back here.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have yelled and clapped my hands to get their attention but these have been fairly young birds. I imagine if I put up with it year in and year out and yelled at them when they did it, they might figure things out... I don't think I have that much patience though.

 

[sunflour]

It wil be interesting to see if Flo learns what No means. But, I am skeptical, but still a novice in chicken keeping. Mine stop whatever they are doing when there is a new sound or object in or around the coop. I would bet a shout will only work til Flo learns it is nothing to fear. But if a shout quickly followed by jail for a short time may provide the negative reinforcement to get her to associate the meaning.

 

[sunflour]

Hollering at your feather picker may not be a miracle cure, but it appears it may work.

I haven't taken my hollering at Flo as a method of curtailing her feather picking very seriously until today. Up until now, I couldn't really say it was cause and effect, rather than Flo coincidentally getting tired of drilling for feathers for the time being. But I spent some time pursuing this, and it seems to get results.

It was mid-morning, Flo and Joycie were spending time away from the flock in their private enclosure, otherwise known as chicken jail. I was just outside the run's back window, sweeping up pine needles. I heard Joycie's "Gaack!", and looked in to see Flo drilling her neck. I hollered, "Flo!" in a loud voice so she could hear me through the window. Flo looked up, upon hearing my voice and stopped.

A few seconds later, she took another stab at Joycie's neck. I hollered again. Flo stopped and looked up. This time I stood there and watched. The second I saw Flo, unfreeze and look at Joycie's neck, I hollered, "Flo!" She froze and looked up.

This time, Flo moved away from Joycie, and didn't go back to picking feathers for the rest of the day, as far as I could tell. But I was within hearing of the run and never heard Joycie's squawking, "Gaack!" and whenever I checked in with them, Flo was always doing something away from Joycie. She appears not to dare pick anyone else's feathers.

This technique may have merit if you can spare some time for your feather picker and hound her like I do Flo. I don't know if it's necessary for your picker to know her name like Flo does, but she probably will respond to a single voice command, like "No!"

The question is, will hollering affect the other chickens? It does appear to startle my other chickens when I holler at Flo, but I doubt that it's interrupting any particular focused activity such as Flo's. Flo now seems to respond to my hollering her name when she is feather picking, and she interrupts the behavior. It would be interesting if some of you could try this, and see if you get any reaction from your picker.

Please report the results back here.

Just wondering, is this still working?

 

[azygous]

Sort of. Flo hasn't stopped her predations completely, but I'm impressed by how much she has improved. When I catch her at it, I will force her out of her protected compartment with Joycie into the general population where they immediately descend on her. She seems to associated that punishment with her picking since when I let her back in with Joycie later, she generally behaves herself.

I do this when hollering "no" doesn't have any effect. Overall, Flo has improved.

 

[sunflour]

@azygous

Keep it up, sounds like it is promising.

My current picker is broody, others are getting some fluff back.

 

[Cluckies]

Thank you for this thread, i've read it all with hope and horror. I have a "shark" as well Cluck-Cluck (now Pluck-Pluck) BO I'm going to order some pinless peepers, but in the mean time I let her roost with the others, but in the morning she goes into "jail" until I let them all out to free range, then i let her out to free range as well. she seems to be too busy to bother plucking when she is free ranging, she just gets a quick pluck in here and their. I've upper their protein (meal worms) and Black oil sunflower seeds. I've added protein to their food (can't remember the name) and also mixed in gamebird/showbird feed (expensive). I may try the fermented food.

I'm not home all day, but when I do watch the girls, I do yell "no" when I see one of them going after poor silly goose (EE), she seems to be the one they concentrate on most (cluck cluck will go after them all, but they all go after goose). I think the other ones pick on goose now too as she has some bald patches on her back and around her tail. I've covered her in blue-kote to try and help with that, doesn't seem to help. I tried "bag balm" goopy, thick, got on her feathers, I think she ate most of it herself I had to try and wash it off.

This is my first flock, 6 all together. 4 have started laying (BO cluck cluck, Gold comet Fi, Silver laced mother and morticia), and two EE Silly goose and Baby that haven't started laying yet. They pick on baby too, only she hides most of the day inside the hen house so has managed to hold onto most of her feathers.

I'm so stressed out about this I did make an apron for goose to wear during the day, I take it off at night.

I'll let you know if any of this helps. Oh how I wish their was a cure for this. I love them all and wouldn't want to get rid of any of them has anyone tried loaning one of their chickens out for a couple weeks to a month to another chicken keeper and then letting her back in to see what happens? I've thought about trying that with cluck cluck...

 

[Lacy Blues]

If you lent her to another chicken keeper you'd have to be sure and tell them why. I doubt anyone would take her for you for that reason. If you were to separate her into her own pen on your own property, you wouldn't be inflicting other chickens with her and possibly teach other birds her bad habits. If you don't want to sell her or get rid of her in any other fashion, you'll need to separate her and keep her by herself.

 

[Cluckies]

Second day with cluck-cluck in prison. The other girls pretty much leave goose alone, a quick peck here and their, or a correction here or there is all so far. I left her apron off all day today, but covered her bald spots with Blue kote. seemed to go well. Mother was interested in trying to "help" goose out with her unruly, frayed feathers. I yelled at her quite a few times when she was zeroing in each time, she did finally give it up after about 5-6 tries each time. All the girls seem more calm and relaxed with Cluck-cluck out of the pen. They do still free range and sleep on the roost with her for now.

 

[Lacy Blues]

@azygous

Keep it up, sounds like it is promising.

My current picker is broody, others are getting some fluff back.

If you are letting her hatch some eggs, you may have to remove her once the chicks start getting feathers on their little backs... maybe 6 weeks. Watch her because she may resume her nasty habit on them. If you remove her, just be ready with heat for the chicks as it will be a lot colder by then.

We had this happen with one of our broodies and she got quickly yanked out of the pen where the babies stayed. She was my daughter's bird so I don't know what happened to her after that.