Peepers just seem cruel...

[chickenchick819]

Project, the peepers under discussion here are the "pinless peepers," not the ones with the metal pin that goes all the way through the nostril. I've used the pinless peepers on my girls with success. I don't have any experience with the type with the pin.

 

[tom e]

When I had some younger birds from the feed store that were more confined than I like to have them (just because they were too little to mix with the big birds) I did three things to stop them from picking which was already their habit when I got them.

1. I trimmed beaks- but not in the brutal way that is a permanent thing- just clipped off the very point of the top beak that was clear. It has since grown back on all birds.

2. I raised their protein ration- black soldier fly larvae and mixed some flock raiser in with the baby feed.

3. I sprayed all their red bloody spots with that violet gentian spray. It's antiseptic to some extent I guess, but mostly I just wanted to hide the bright red color that they were attracted to. I reapplied as necessary for about a week.

This totally did the trick and broke them of the habit. I lean towards the protein, and their interest in picking at bugs as being the main thing that helped, but since I don't know for sure, I would repeat all three again if I have the problem in the future. None of my hatched babies have ever had the issue though, so that makes me think it was nutrition mostly that had been lacking at the feed store.

Anything that you find that works though, I think is good. They can be absolutely brutal if left at it.

 

[Dinosaur Diva]

Try spending some time in the run with the troops. Afternoon seems to be when my pickers have done most of their "evil", being more wound up as the day progresses. I do believe, from experience, that some feather pickers are that way just like some humans have OCD. It's in the wiring in the brain, not a nutrition problem or boredom. My two pickers seem to just go crazy when they see feathers pass by their beaks.

It's not necessary to put peepers on everyone, nor is it fair. Keep a close eye on those with perfect plumage, as it's usually they who are doing the damage to the bald ones.

The peeper prongs don't pierce any tissue. The nostrils merely hold the prongs on the peepers in place. There shouldn't be any pressure on delicate tissue, operating much like the nose pieces on our human spectacles. You spread the prongs to enable the peepers to slip into place. If a hen is more sensitive than most, the prongs may present slight discomfort if they're jostled at first. Also, some times the peepers have to sit on the front part of a high "single" comb. Don't worry about the comb folding under the top part of the peeper.

By the way, some times the peepers cause the other chickens to be aggressive towards the new peeper-wearers. I solved that problem by scattering a dozen peepers around the floor of the pen to "desensitize" them all. After an hour, everyone was ignoring all the peepers, including the ones on the wearers, and I picked them up and put them away.

By the way, I recommend you leave the peepers on for six months. Remove them and observe the little pickers for a few weeks. They might be cured. If not, you have a life-picker, and you'll need to put them back on. I recently put them on a young pullet, and I am harboring hope, having got her "peepered" young and before she made a real picking habit, she can be reformed. The other picker reverted after wearing the peepers for many months and I had to put them back on her two weeks later.

Best of luck to you. I hope this works in your case, as some chickens don't seem a bit phased by them, continuing to pick in spite of them.

You seem well informed. I have several hens, 5 Cinnamon Queens 2 Americana's who brutalize one hen. The also don't like to let the younger hens in the flock eat (18 in all). I have heard peepers are a good thing to use when you have meanies. In your experience, do they eliminate aggressive behavior? Should just the main 2 meanies wear them, or the whole gang of 7? Would a few weeks be enough?

 

[Dinosaur Diva]

Try spending some time in the run with the troops. Afternoon seems to be when my pickers have done most of their "evil", being more wound up as the day progresses. I do believe, from experience, that some feather pickers are that way just like some humans have OCD. It's in the wiring in the brain, not a nutrition problem or boredom. My two pickers seem to just go crazy when they see feathers pass by their beaks.

It's not necessary to put peepers on everyone, nor is it fair. Keep a close eye on those with perfect plumage, as it's usually they who are doing the damage to the bald ones.

The peeper prongs don't pierce any tissue. The nostrils merely hold the prongs on the peepers in place. There shouldn't be any pressure on delicate tissue, operating much like the nose pieces on our human spectacles. You spread the prongs to enable the peepers to slip into place. If a hen is more sensitive than most, the prongs may present slight discomfort if they're jostled at first. Also, some times the peepers have to sit on the front part of a high "single" comb. Don't worry about the comb folding under the top part of the peeper.

By the way, some times the peepers cause the other chickens to be aggressive towards the new peeper-wearers. I solved that problem by scattering a dozen peepers around the floor of the pen to "desensitize" them all. After an hour, everyone was ignoring all the peepers, including the ones on the wearers, and I picked them up and put them away.

By the way, I recommend you leave the peepers on for six months. Remove them and observe the little pickers for a few weeks. They might be cured. If not, you have a life-picker, and you'll need to put them back on. I recently put them on a young pullet, and I am harboring hope, having got her "peepered" young and before she made a real picking habit, she can be reformed. The other picker reverted after wearing the peepers for many months and I had to put them back on her two weeks later.

Best of luck to you. I hope this works in your case, as some chickens don't seem a bit phased by them, continuing to pick in spite of them.

Oh, I should add that the 5 Queens are sequestered in a pen. I expect to keep them there for 5 days or so. Maybe this will do the trick?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Dinosaur Diva]

I have 2 hens who are just mean, fight for no reason. So I put the peepers on, and lo! no fighting. How long should they stay on? Anyone have any experience with this? I read somewhere they need to be changed every 2 weeks, but is it necessary to go past that? Seems once the order is established they wouldn't be necessary anymore. And I think that will take about 2 weeks. Thoughts?