Hi Everyone! I am almost returned from the land of the dead. I am over the pneumonia now but I have a really bad case of tonsillitis now.
ME!!! I think I need a laptop for when I am not in a situation where I can sit in this blasted chair.
Anyway, I hope all is going well. I am so sorry to hear about the newcomer's chickens. OMG I do not know what I would do, just reading your story made me cry right on the spot. Growing up our neighbours were fairly warned many times of the repercussions of their mishandling of their "pets" getting loose on our property and killing any of our chickens. Unfortunately there were a couple that did not win the battle over lead poisoning including one of my own dogs. Of course the laws have changed somewhat these days so you have to plaster signs all over the place before you can take any action and you are lucky to get any help from the law when it is a child much less poultry or another animal. I know that may seem like a harsh way of dealing with things but when you put the money, the time and the enormous effort into these flocks to feed your family and bring in a little extra income or even if they are just a hobby/pet project it is devastating financially and emotionally to start all over again especially after something so violent happening. Considering all of the lost work on genetics too, it is just... well there are no words. I am very sorry for your loss.
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Sounds like "cooped up" syndrome. They need something to do and since they have nothing to do they are picking (literally) at each other. For now if it is just feather picking you are ok temporarily. I would do like Carol mentioned and let them out if you can. Even if it is only for an hour or two each day. They need constant new things to make them happy. Even if it is to go out in the coop and rake everything up into a huge pile and let them scratch it back out. Anything to keep them occupied on something other than who is higher on the pecking order.
If they start to draw blood, you can have a serious problem on your hands pretty quickly. Chickens are major carnivores when bored and cooped up. (no pun intended) and once blood is drawn it is like putting blood in the water with a school of piranha. I would add some blood meal (only about a tbsp per every 2 quarts of food) to their food and if they have pecked a chicken to skin or to blood, paste some pine tar on the skin or over the pecked area. It is a natural antiseptic and it tastes nasty which of course will change their mind about re-pecking that chicken. You can pick it up at any feed and seed for about $10 a quart which should last you the lifetime of your chickens. *LOL* You can also get the blood meal in any hardware store in the natural fertilizer section. It is just what it says on the bag, dried blood from cows and it has always worked on keeping our chickens from getting into a major flesh eating frenzy.
But your best bet is to get some flock blocks out there, hang some cabbage, suet block, or any other healthy treat or fun things around the coop so they have something to do, change things around in the pen to disrupt their "normalcy", or just let them out to free range a bit every day.
