Pecking :/

[dannifer]

So this Forco stuff - I'm assuming it's safe to give to chickens (and your neighbors dogs you said) even though it's a horse supplement? I had starting reading about protein deficiencies maybe being the cause of too much fighting but wasn't sure what to add to their feed. I'm giving them black sunflower seeds.. although they don't seem to eat them much. I had also heard about mixing game bird feed in with their layer rations because it's higher in protein - anyone have success with that? I'm also going to do the vinegar in the water. I had done that some during the hottest days of the summer but they didn't drink as much water with the vinegar in it so I had quit. Does anyone know how long it should take to see behavior results when changing their nutrition like this? Right now I'm having to seperate 3 chickens in make shift places... since I really don't have 3 seperate coops or pens. It's a pain.. in the rear!! Why can't they just all get along?! LOL

 

[azygous]

There are many supplements that are targeted for large livestock that are suitable for chickens, such as the vitamins and electrolytes we use in their waterers, as well as antibiotics and wormers.

My friends told me to be patient and not expect to see results until around the sixth or seventh week. Sure enough, that's when their behavior suddenly changed. I removed peepers from the milder offenders first, and waited another two weeks to remove the peepers from Flo, my two-year old EE hard case, lifer feather picker. She has shown no inclination to revert back to her evil ways. She's much calmer, too.

Forco smells rich and grainy, is high in protein and has a zillion nutrients in it. Something in it has worked for my feather pickers. I give it to them in the morning, free choice, and they all eat as much as they need, and it's gone within two hours. They love it.

As for vinegar, it's one tablespoon of non-filtered apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water. My flock has been getting this year-round for several years, and they seem to love the taste. I keep the water jugs scrubbed clean and fresh water is supplied daily.

 

[ChickenJoy]

"As for vinegar, it's one tablespoon of non-filtered apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water. My flock has been getting this year-round for several years, and they seem to love the taste. I keep the water jugs scrubbed clean and fresh water is supplied daily."

Does the vinegar rust the metal waters??

 

[tiaali]

Hello. I just had a pecking problem. My leghorn was the first to lay and, of course, she has her red comb. I made the mistake of warming the coop with a red light and they must have gotten bored. I found her comb pecked on and partly off. I caged her and she is sleeping in the garage. She is a traumatized because her egg laying has suffered. I tried to clean as much of the dried blood off as possible, but she still has some. I know they don't like water, but I was thinking of giving her a warm bath. Her beautiful plummage is all spotted with blood. Any suggestions?

Thank you for any help.

 

[azygous]

You don't want to use ACV in metal waterers. The acid will not rust the galvanized metal, but it will cause a chemical reaction that will leach out the harmful components in the galvanized steel, which would be potentially harmful.

 

[azygous]

tiaali - you can bathe your injured hen in a small basin of warm water and children's "no tears" bubble bath liquid, just a half a cap full. Sponge off the blood stains with a wash cloth, then towel dry, but do not rub the feathers. You can let her air dry in a warm room or blow dry her feathers on the low setting. I haven't met a chicken yet who doesn't adore being blow dried.

As for the torn comb, wash it in soap and water, keep it clean, and it will heal in just a couple of days. If she has a comb that is larger and a lot different from the others, that could be why they are attacking her. I had this problem with a young SLW pullet several years ago, and after it was ripped off her head three times, almost a complete scalping, I opted to do a partial dubbing to the offending long "tail". There were no more problems after she looked more like the others.

 

[Jason49424]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321104110127?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

I have used these and they work good. Egg production may go down for a week or so but it will get lots better once all the hens are healed

 

[azygous]

Those pinless peepers work on some hens, but other hens seem to re-wire their brains so they can see just as well as before and the problems resume. A better option for incorrigible peckers and pickers is the Bumpa-bit. You can now get them in the US through forcocolorado.com. e-mail Jim Rea and he'll mail you some for a very small price.

I'm getting ready to install one on a new picker this morning. Both of her sisters are already wearing the bits and they managed to adjust to them quite quickly.