Non-adhesive tape for pecking wound?

peeping toone

Chirping
5 Years
May 30, 2014
10
9
52
SE Oklahoma
I have a polish roo that the ladies love to methodically remove his head feathers. I have tried two different kinds of no-peck lotion and ointment, making a helmet with flour and water paste (which helped for about three weeks), and even vaseline. I thought about using that tape they use to wrap around your arm when you give blood. It's not sticky, is somewhat like gauze to allow the feathers to grow back, and sticks to itself so I wouldn't need tape. I was just curious if anyone else has tried it. He is the only rooster, so I hate to re-home home. And he is the only chicken being plucked.
 
Have you tried cutting his crest down short?..Then apply Vaseline with cayenne pepper mixed in and apply a bit thick also..Best wishes..
Pecking is caused by many things.
Is he the only Polish?..Space is another cause and not enough protein in the diet.
 
I raised two polish hens, and the flock took turns pecking them bald from about 3 months to the end of their lives. I used BluKote spray when it would happen, and repeat it every other day until all feathers grew back, for about a month. They would leave them alone, but a few months later, it might happen again. Usually you would notice a few feathers missing, and if you didn’t start the BluKote, they would be all gone in a day or two. Once a young cockerel tried to mate one unsuccessfully, and he scalped her and left her in a ditch after beating her up. That one got placed in a dog crate for 3 days, and treated with neosporin ointment, then later with BluKote when she was let out.

I trimmed their feathers around their eyes so they could see better, and not bump into the other chickens which sometimes caused a tussle. They may bleed if trimmed too short.

I lost the first to a predator inside the yard one day, and her sister who had been blinded in one eye by a peck, lived a few more years, but 2 hawks ganged up on her and decapitated her through a chainlink fence. They are beautiful birds, but I won’t have another crested bird.

Chickens cannot taste the heat in cayenne pepper. I used it in wet feed many times to help prevent worms (it does not work,) and they loved it, especially mixed with garlic. So, the hot pepper will not help prefent pecking.
 
I have 1 rooster (the polish), and 6 hens (3 wyandotte, 1 australorp, 1 polish who they don't bother, and 1 Rhode island red that seems to be the one doing the most pecking...and she is the oldest and meanest hen I have.) they have a large coop that is a repurposed 8x10 insulated metal shed withe plenty of perching bars and floor space. Their run is 5' tall and 14' round completely covered with chicken wire. I feed them a 16% all flock and scratch grains, and about once a week they get scrambled eggs (usually dirty eggs that I don't like to keep.) I don't feed layer feed because I lost my best rooster due to kidney failure from the calcium in the layer feed (or at least that's what I think from what I have read). And I read that 22% game/meat bird is not good for them either. I am going to try giving him a haircut (he is going to be so happy) and blue-kote. I hate to get rid of him. I don't want to mess up their pecking order, and his polish companion would have to go also, because I am afraid they will start in on her.
 

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