I am so disheartened this morning. I am having major picking problems--I have a 25'x10' grow-out pen for the Marans pullets, there are 7 blue coppers and 17 black coppers in there, 2-3 months old. I found one of the smaller ones with her butt all picked and bloodied this morning. I sprayed the area with Furasol and isolated her. Finished feeding and watering some of the other birds, maybe took 15 minutes, went back to fill the feeder in the grow-out pen and there was another one picked! Same thing, smaller pullet, butt all bloodied. I found a third that was starting to be picked, her butt was just a little raw, not bloodied yet. I sprayed both of these birds also, and isolated the bloodied one. I hope they make it. I don't know if it is just one bird that is doing this or not. Of course they don't do it when I am out there and it is too hot to sit and watch. Early morning, there is a lot of shade in the front part of the pen, and that's when I saw the problem. By 9:00, there is only a small strip of shade in the back of the pen, and all the pullets are huddled back there until the sun moves around and there is shade again over more of the pen. Which means if I sit out there to watch them, I would have to be sitting in the sun and I can't. I just don't know what to do! I lost (died) a cockerel in the cockerel grow out pen yesterday, his butt was all bloodied. I am assuming he was picked and died and not that he died and then was picked. That pen is on the other side of the large yard and has a lot more shade, a lot of space. I don't know if it is the heat that is causing this, too much boredom, too many birds in pens, combination? I had a little bit of problem with some Orloffs I'm growing out, but not with any of the other breeds. I am wondering if the Marans as a breed do not take confinement as well. The 2 pullets that were bloodied badly are nice---they are ones I am keeping, nice black, no mossy, nice copper hackles. I am so upset!! I don't have anyplace else to move the birds or thin them out, I've got a sale ad on CraigsList right now selling 2-3 month old pullets $15 each buy 5 or more and I've thinned them out by selling, but still 4 or 5 left to sell from that pen. I've thought about ordering some of those peepers---always thought those were just for big commercial operations!! Anybody ever try them? They are supposed to stop picking. I am desperate. Any ideas on how to identify the culprit if it is just one bird doing the picking?
