Leaving.....

[Saroco]

Alrighty,I'm leaving my girls for four days on the 24th....What can I do about their feather picking habit when I'm gone? Can I put duct tape on their backs to stop it? What would you do?

 

[paddock36]

Have you dusted them for mites? Maybe that is why they are picking. Just a suggestion. If that's not an issue then maybe leave them something to pick like a few heads of cabbage.

 

[BANTAMWYANDOTTE]

Quote:
AGREE 200%

I had the same problem with feather picking and after I dusted my chickens (and the neighbors) the picking stopped in about two weeks.

 

[Saroco]

nonono....I have one bird who is pulling the feathers out of all the other bird's butts and backs. (Sorry, should have explained more)

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Maybe some extra protein or some of those pinless peepers???

 

[Gray Ghost]

Pretty sure duct tape will result in more feather loss in the long term, when you remove the tape....

 

[Saroco]

Well, they said you just wait until the tape falls off by itself.... Where can i get pinless peepers, and what are they?

 

[NorthTexaschick]

Check on line with poultry suppliers. They're pretty much "blinders" for chickens.

 

[Lisa202]

Quote:
I had the same problem. One chicken was pecking the feathers from the others (mostly 2 had the brunt of her attacks) I tried separating her for a week an that didn't work. I then separated her completely away from the others (so they couldn't see her) for another 12 days. Yesterday I let her back with the others, and she right away attacked one of my nicest chickens. The others, who had made their way up in the pecking order with her gone, attacked her and she somewhat stopped her aggressive behavior....but only for one night. The next morning she was at it again...pecking the feathers out of the same 2 chickens. None of my chickens have mites or lice. I up't their meat protein and the boredom thing is definitely not a problem. I really really tried to rehabilitate her, but this morning I had to re-home her. Sometimes it's just a bully chicken and mine was one. I'm sorry to see her go, but I'm relieved that I don't have to worry about her teaching this to the others and possibly creating wounds and then I would really have a problem.

There was a post from someone who used the pinless peepers and they said that they really worked. I read about it yesterday, so you should be able to find it easily. Some said that they leave them on for months until they fall off by themselves and it worked over the long run. someone else said that it resumed when they fell off. They sell them at eggcartons.com.

Good luck

 

[Saroco]

Thanks I'll have to order some.... But how do they stay on? What do they attach to?