So...haven't really been on here for awhile but looking for some more advice.
Just when I thought the feather plucking was resolved...just let the girls out for their afternoon free ranging and another hen with plucked and bloody feathers! I have upped their protein intake, tried blucote which helps but is it too cold (41 right now) to be spraying stuff on them? I did get some bitter apple spray for birds but again worried about them getting chilled!
Thanks in advance,
Leslie
Hi Leslie, I missed the post!
Do you know who the pecker is??? Bye bye to the pecker, but I assume you don't know who it is, and I agree about the spray and being outside in this cold (Did you know laying hens tend to peck short feathers more frequently than long ones, and there is some evidence to suggest that hens laying brown-shelled eggs are more likely to engage in feather pecking than hens laying white-shelled eggs) HOWEVER if they need the spray you should isolate them and care for them....IF there is blood on the bird you have to ISOLATE or you wont fix anything.
POSITIVE you have enough space in the coop for them??????
feed and water is always filled?
PARASITES? sure you don't have any?? You are NOT overcrowded correct? You have ENOUGH nest boxes? you have plenty of perches for the birds?
I read something about too much light as well, always use red or a dimmer in the coop.
Heat.... NOT TOO WARM either with adequate ventilation
How have you added protein and is it on a daily basis?
There is always the debeaking route as well as the sunglasses route????
And last is a hard to swallow suggestion.... you may have to remove your weaker birds permanently as I had to....
here is a thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/621392/pecking/20 interesting about the horse feed I think it was that they suggest... high protein
I hope you can nip this and not have to deal with cannibalism : (