Naked butt

[ohkimba]

Hey all~

My poor rooster, Henry, has a naked butt thanks to our 15 hens. I've sprayed him with Blu-Kote, hoping that would discourage the girls from pecking him, but so far it hasn't worked. I'm at my wits end. Henry doesn't seem bothered by this, so I'm wondering whether I'm anthropomorphizing...

The chickens are all 8 months old, have a healthy diet, and enjoy plenty of room to roam. The girls aren't pecking each other, just Henry. (Meaning, I've ruled out dietary, confinement, and pest issues -- I think.)

Bottom line: Is this bad? Should I do something about it? Any ideas...?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

~Kim

 

[sourland]

That is significant enough that it might lead to cannibalism. I would remove him from the flock until his feathers have completely regrown - a significant period of time.

 

[Eggcessive]

How much protein is in your chicken feed (what do you feed them?) Are they overcrowded?

 

[ohkimba]

That is significant enough that it might lead to cannibalism. I would remove him from the flock until his feathers have completely regrown - a significant period of time.

They sleep in a big coop (10' x 12') and have a large area to roam (60' x 40') during the day. So I don't think space is the issue..is it?

They're eating a 50/50 mixture of layer feed and high-protein chick growth feed -- this, because I have 4 Brahmas (including Henry) that aren't fully mature yet. They get a high-ptotein "snack" in the evening, typically a suet cake or scrambled eggs or something similar, to give them energy to stay warm throughout the night. And they also have free-feed oyster and eggshells. I'm told their diet is quite healthy, but if you see a deficit, by all means let me know.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to separate Henry from the flock. I have only one coop and can't build anything else until spring (I'm in Minnesota, so it's below freezing right now). If you have a suggestion on how to separate him, by all means let me know -- I'm absolutely open to any suggestions!

This pecking has been going on for months now --it started in August-- and only Henry is affected. Given this, I hadn't considered cannibalism. If that's a possibility, and given my inability to separate Henry, is there anything I can do?

~Kim

 

[Eggcessive]

If a wire dog crate would fit into your coop, food and water can be secured, and he might be good to sleep in there. Can you see any pecking going on on the roost in the evenings or mornings, or when they are walking around during the day.

There are a couple of creams that some use to discourage pecking. Nustock cream and pine tar are in the horse supplies at feed stores, and the bad taste of those might help with pecking. BluKote spray to die the red skin blue, might help, but check to make sure it doesn’t attract more pecking. Pinless peepers are another possible help, if you can identify the pecker.

 

[ohkimba]

Thank you! I've read about NuStock on here and will buy some today. I'm already using Blu-Kote...not sure it's doing anything, tho.

I do have a large dog crate; I hadn't thought about using that to separate him. Thank you!

And no: I have no idea which hen(s) is/are pecking at him. I've honestly thought about putting pinless peepers on everyone -- is that too extreme? It seems everyone will take a little peck at him whenever they have a chance, but it seems more curious than aggressive, if that makes any sense (they seem to peck at him in the same way they peck at me: gently, as though to say hello rather than to be mean...although I realize this sounds ridiculous!).

 

[Eggcessive]

I have never used pinless peepers, but I would probably only use them on one particular chicken. BluKote has to be applied daily or every other day since it wears off, and it can be very staining to fingers and clothing. The pine tar has been used for decades for this reason. A combination of bad taste and odor, as well as the sticky ointment can help. Both Nustock and pine tar have healing properties. Good luck on helping him.