My Chicken has turned Carnivorous

Georgey

In the Brooder
Sep 22, 2019
29
32
49
Kenya
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Hi, recently my Australorp chicken breed of 6 months has began the nasty habit of eating her toes. She's injuring herself and I've tried to bandage the areas she's eaten herself but whenever I do that she eats away from another part. She started laying eggs at five months of age and sinve then she's missed laying twice. I'm considering trimming her beak but I've held back because I fear it may affect her egg laying. What to do . Help!
 
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What do you feed including treats (quantity of treats)?
How much space do you have for how many chickens? (sq ft of coop and run)

It's hard to know why she's picking at her feet - could be nutritional/vitamin deficiency or stress (psychological stress).
I would soak the feet in a warm epsom salts bath daily to help them heal. Apply a little Vetericyn, triple antibiotic ointment or Blu Kote to the feet. Ideally, she should be kept on clean dry bedding.

Try increasing her protein (chick starter, flock raiser/all flock, egg, meat, fish) and limit the amount of treats she eats. I would also give a poultry vitamin that contains B vitamins (like Poultry Cell). Direct dose is 1cc per 3 pounds of weight.

Look her over well for lice/mites on the body. It's hard to see the other foot, but the scales don't looked too raised which would indicate Scaly Leg Mites which could be another reason for picking at the feet - those can be treated with vaseline or oil rubbed into and under the scales of the legs and feet.
 
What do you feed including treats (quantity of treats)?
How much space do you have for how many chickens? (sq ft of coop and run)

It's hard to know why she's picking at her feet - could be nutritional/vitamin deficiency or stress (psychological stress).
I would soak the feet in a warm epsom salts bath daily to help them heal. Apply a little Vetericyn, triple antibiotic ointment or Blu Kote to the feet. Ideally, she should be kept on clean dry bedding.

Try increasing her protein (chick starter, flock raiser/all flock, egg, meat, fish) and limit the amount of treats she eats. I would also give a poultry vitamin that contains B vitamins (like Poultry Cell). Direct dose is 1cc per 3 pounds of weight.

Look her over well for lice/mites on the body. It's hard to see the other foot, but the scales don't looked too raised which would indicate Scaly Leg Mites which could be another reason for picking at the feet - those can be treated with vaseline or oil rubbed into and under the scales of the legs and feet.

For treats they love kales, cabbages, tomatoes and Silver Cyprinids. I dust (using Sevin poultry dust to rid of mite and other pests) there sleeping area and I have 15 chicken in a 50Sqr-M backyard where I leave them to roam about freely. I don't think she's stressed out coz I have only one rooster. I give them feeds rich in protein, calcium and vitamins. Though from Monday she hasn't been at it again but she does try to remove the bandages from her feet.

A friend told me to trim her beak but I feel it's too risky.
 
That's a tuffy. First thing I would think is medical, mites or irritation of some kind, or maybe even eyesight going. Thinks it's a worm, pecks it, then she thinks the worm is hurting her foot, pecks it again. Some kinda psychosomatic whatever, like a dog attacking it's tail for getting to close while he's eating?
Maybe make a little pair of cardboard cones? She's have to sleep on a nest for couple weeks while everything healed up. Might bring bell bottoms back? Or maybe cut everything but the bill and band off of a ball cap, and secure it below her wings, bill in front?
 

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