I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

[sunflour]

I've got one who feather picks and I've tried everything. the strangest thing is she only eats her own (moulted) feathers or picks from the other girls shoulders, just at the very top of their wings. I suspect it's more of a dominance behaviour as she is well fed and gets loads of mealworms, oatmilk porridge and probiotics so she cant be protein deficient. I've tried all the usual things, No therapy works while I'm with them but not when I'm out of her line of vision/earshot and she seems to actively like the taste of antipek spray and chilli (yes I did rub a tiny bit of chilli on one of my girlies baldy wing bit) It made her peck even more. The OP's suggested product seems to be an american only thing, is there something that we can get in the UK to help get her to quit?

Honestly,I really don't think there is a cure…but keep hoping and watching the tread for real magic solution.

But try spraying the blu note on the favorite ares on those being pecked. They really hate to get that stuff on their beaks.

 

[azygous]

The "No!" therapy appears to be working on the Sussex. This morning one of them, Geobett, not Sylvia who was picking before, was picking at saddle feathers. I kept hollering "No!" and she got it after the third one, but stopping, freezing each time, then moving away to do something else.

Sad news about Flo. She came out from under the coop, being chased by one of the younger bullies, and she collapsed at my feet, unable to walk. It appears she has a bursitis in her right leg. It may be a complication from the avian leukemia that my flock is carrying. That's one of the symptoms. I'm hoping it'll improve over the next few days as the weather warms up. She's in the garage right now, resting.

Maybe poor Flo has just been feeling too badly to pick.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ahhhh, poor Flo. It's hard to think about one of my birds laying in hiding for me to come within dashing distance and then collapsing. Poor baby.

 

[azygous]

I've got one who feather picks and I've tried everything. the strangest thing is she only eats her own (moulted) feathers or picks from the other girls shoulders, just at the very top of their wings. I suspect it's more of a dominance behaviour as she is well fed and gets loads of mealworms, oatmilk porridge and probiotics so she cant be protein deficient. I've tried all the usual things, No therapy works while I'm with them but not when I'm out of her line of vision/earshot and she seems to actively like the taste of antipek spray and chilli (yes I did rub a tiny bit of chilli on one of my girlies baldy wing bit) It made her peck even more. The OP's suggested product seems to be an american only thing, is there something that we can get in the UK to help get her to quit?

Forco is a pre-biotic, along the lines of a pro-biotic. Much the same thing can be accomplished by feeding your flock fermented feed, which has all the biotics in it that supplements have. That's what I've been doing with my flock, and it's something you can do no matter where you live on the planet. Go over to the forum on Feeding and Watering your Flock to find the thread on how to do it.

Flo was much better after a few hours of rest in the warm, sunny grow-window in the garage. She's been having trouble with her legs for a year now, and can no longer jump more than a couple inches, and usually falls a time or two, trying. She's no match for the bullies.

 

[sunflour]

I hope Flo is ok.

 

[Cluckies]

Hope flo feels better soon! I also have a sick girl. Mother has had diarrhea for over 7 days now. brought her to the vet today, vet doesn't know why, nothing showed up in the fecal. Exam showed nothing except a possible bound egg, but I don't think so. she said to separate her and see if she lays an egg tomorrow before noon, if not bring her back for an x-ray. I don't think that is the problem. I've not been real impressed with this vet even with my dogs, but she is the only one around I know of that looks at chickens, I was hoping it was something she could figure out. Mother is also not eating real well, but she is eating and drinking some. she is in the jail tonight and for the morning until she lays an egg. we'll play it by ear, I really don't want to bring her in again unless absolutely necessary, 101 bucks for an "I don't know" is no good. an exam with an x-ray will be very spendy, and she said they still may no be able to tell unless there are several eggs lined up in there.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh good grief! I feel for ya!

Give her some yogurt. Plain and unsweetened. Also, alfalfa is an appetite stimulant. When my birds seem to need it, I will make a tea with some plain old regular alfalfa from a bale. If you or someone you know has horses, you could probably get a little. Heck, they even sell it at Walmart in little bales for rabbits if you need to go that route.

What I do is take about 1/4 cup of alfalfa leaves (some stems is ok) and put them in the carafe for my coffee maker. Then I run 3 or 4 cups of water through it so its nice and hot. I let it sit on the burner for an hour or more til its good and strong. Then I weaken it when I serve it. If you have her separated and she has her own water supply, I would measure 1/4 cup of tea to one cup water. That way it shouldn't be too strong and cause her to not drink.

Yogurt though... that's my strongest recommendation.

 

[azygous]

Have you checked Mother's crop? Is it full and spongy in the mornings? If her crop is full, in spite of not eating, she probably has a case of sour crop. If you catch it soon enough, she can make a full recovery. You use ordinary Monistat and it will clear up the yeast infection in her crop, if that's what it is.

Do you feed fermented feed or dry crumbles?

 

[Cluckies]

She seems to be eating fine today. she eats dry crumble/pellets. I brought her in the house and gave her an epsom salt bath, she drank the water, another thread said epsom salt in water is good for them. I gave yogurt last night, but the other chickens kept her away from it mostly, i'll give her some today. she is resting now in the house. I hope if it is a bound up egg she passes it. I didn't feel her crop this morning. I'll see in the morning. if she has a sour crop, how do you feed the monistat? Does a sour crop produce diarrhea?

 

[Lacy Blues]

How old is mother?