I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[Glasshen]

You know, Azygous, I am running out of compassion for some of my girls too. This is supposed to be fun and relaxing, and feather picking and egg eating are behaviors which interfere with those good feelings. I have a hen who is some kind of sex link who was sold to me as a Buff Orp who is an egg eater, and I will think she is finally on the straight and narrow...but not. Yesterday late in the day she came flying out of the coop with an egg and membrane flopping from her beak. She is unrepentant, and I am getting ready to learn to process her.

 

[azygous]

I hear you. I just got through staring at Flo in that way, pondering life with her as chicken stew.

 

[Lacy Blues]

You know, Azygous, I am running out of compassion for some of my girls too. This is supposed to be fun and relaxing, and feather picking and egg eating are behaviors which interfere with those good feelings. I have a hen who is some kind of sex link who was sold to me as a Buff Orp who is an egg eater, and I will think she is finally on the straight and narrow...but not. Yesterday late in the day she came flying out of the coop with an egg and membrane flopping from her beak. She is unrepentant, and I am getting ready to learn to process her.

She will teach your other hens to break and eat eggs. The sooner you get it done, the sooner you'll have eggs on the table!

Azygous, I'm so sorry about Flo. I know she's your favorite and its really really hard just to contemplate chicken stew with those let alone actually do it. I wish you strength.

 

[azygous]

Thanks, Lacy. I have Flo in chicken jail for her own protection. She's finally been able to relax, now that she knows the four thugs lurking on the other side of the partition can't actually reach her. I finally installed her in jail when I saw her with her head jammed down a hole to try to protect herself from the vicious little beasts standing on her back.

 

[azygous]

Took all bits and peepers off the entire flock! So far, they've all been behaving, including the serial feather picker Flo!

Things had continued to go downhill for Flo. The minute I would let her out of the protective custody of the jail enclosure, the four thugs would chase her down and stomp her into the dirt. She was so conditioned to be stomped, she would nervously run in circles, then squat for the gang of four to do their dance on her back.

Then I got the bright idea of relegating the four Sussex to the rear, former rooster pen. The rooster has died and so the pen is completely theirs. I even partitioned off the rear coop again so they can lay eggs and sleep in their own coop now. I decided that their bumpa bits could come off since they aren't going to be terrorizing the rest of the flock any longer.

Then I decide to remove the devices from a couple of the Welsummers, as well. So now the whole flock is naked, and so far, there's been no feather predation.

Flo, still not completely back to normal, has relaxed considerably. While she hasn't yet resumed laying, she now hangs out with her one friend Joycie, and so far, Joycie still has her neck feathers.

I found out that I have two separate flocks now when I let the Sussex out to free range with the rest. A violent fight ensued between the two senior members of the main flock and two members of the Sussex thugs. So now I know that they can't mingle any longer. But, it appears most of the problems have been resolved.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I hope it stays sane for you. Good luck.

 

[azygous]

In Chicken World, I've learned, nothing stays sane for long.

But then, I have all the entertainment I need just out the back door, so I dropped my TV satellite subscription and am saving a ton of money.

 

[Lacy Blues]

 

[azygous]

Almost four weeks to the day since I removed Flo's pinless peepers, she has begun to pick feathers again.

Actually, about a week ago, she took a stab at her BFF Joycie's neck and I yelled, "Flo!" And she didn't do it again (to my knowledge) until this morning. I heard Joycie's "Gaack!" and looked over in time to see Flo making a mighty tug on the neck feather she was grasping firmly in her wicked little beak. I yelled, "Flo!" And she stopped.

Both Flo and Joycie are at the bottom of the flock pecking order, even though there are nine hens younger than they. They can't walk by another hen without being pecked or chased. They're both perennial victims.

I hesitate to reinstall Flo's peepers because it renders her even less able to deal with her many, many enemies. But, it's tempting. In her three years, this is the very first time I've been able to gaze on Joycie, a beautiful Buff Brahma, and see her sporting a full set of neck feathers.

So, for all you folks out there who insist feather picking is merely a product of poor nutrition or crowding or boredom, this thread, if read from start to finish, will disabuse you of that silly notion. I and countless other BYCers have explored every solution, from adding extra protein, providing lavish entertainment, resorting to fermented feed, and installing devices on her beak. Nothing has worked for long.

There. Is. No. Cure. For feather picking.

 

[Glasshen]

I haven't read the whole thread in a while, but wonder if since those two are at the bottome of the pecking order, perhaps they could just have a little cottage for two and live happily ever after in a land for just them. Perhaps they would have no need to pick feathers if everyone was not picking on them. Or did you try separate but equal?