Pinless Peeper/Poultry Blinders?

[ecohybrid]

I just installed peepers on 3 of my 4 hens (#4 is in a portable dog kennel recuperating with a severe neck pecking injury that probably would have been fatal in another 24 hours...poor thing was hiding in the dark nest box to avoid confrontation). The problem is that the peepers kept the hens from drinking water. I have a waterer that sticks through a slot in the rear of the coop so I have access and can keep it from freezing (light bulb in enclosed space) in sub-zero temps. It didn't stick through far enough to allow drinking w/peepers on. Unfortunately I didn't notice for a day, so I had some ticked-off and thirsty hens when I came home today.

I'm thinking a dry/thirsty hen is "madder than a wet hen"

The ingenious ways these birds have to get attention...

 

[welovechickens]

I have the 1-gallon "hanging" waterer for my hens....the one from Tractor Supply. It gives about 1.5" or 2" drinking space. Will it interfere with my "peepered" hen getting a drink? Should I set out a bowl for her, too?

 

[gingerpeach22]

I'm having a problem getting chicken pinless peepers up to Alaska. Does someone want to sell me a few (I have a feather plucker)? I could do PayPal.

 

[plecostrum]

Hi has anyone used these on bantams will they fit?

i have a bad girl partridge wyandotte whos up for auction soon else.

I cannot find these in the uk anywhere

would someone be so kind as to send me 10 i found a few sites that sell these for $5.95 if you have them local and would be happy to post them to me in the uk i would really appreciate it.

I will pay all money upfront on paypal.

Please pm me


or send me a link to anywhere that sell them uk or postage overseas! they are very small light things so i am guessing postage wouldnt be expensive.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

We have 23 hens that were really pecking the heck out of each other and I finally had to install the peepers. I called on a friend to come over and help me. I didn't think about the hot water thing and wish I would have had. I held them in my hand to warm them up then put them on. I love the Goggle eyes thing and wish I would have done that. Mine are bright yellow. Two hens have lost theirs and I'll have to wait for my friend to come over and help re-install.

Now my question - how long do I need to keep these on? Since we seem to have an issue in the flock does that mean they will have to have them forever. O over time will they drop the habit and settle down. I have also been adding some higher protein feed for treats in the morning along with cabbage and carrots. They have plenty of run space and not sure what else can be done for boredom. Unfortunately, we can't free range on our place too many predators.

Sandee

 

[boogiedog]

I bought my pinless peepers from nationalband.com. Lots of cool colors to choose from, and by FAR the cheapest. I have 33 hens, bantams and standards, and put peepers on the worst offenders (both bantams and standard hens). I found the one size fit both the big and little ladies just fine.

I put them on about three months ago, and have been removing them from some of the birds. So far two of the three hens have NOT resumed the feather picking behavior. One (one of the last to get them) went right back to it and her peepers put back on.

Some background - the hens started showing this behavior right at the time they started egg laying. So, accordingly, the ones reaching that age first (I had 33 hens in about 5 batches, with an age spread of about 3 months) started the behavior and got peepers first. Of the 33 hens, about 10 have peepers on them. The ones who got them first are now getting them removed, and it appears the behavior has ceased. When I took them off a newer peeper-wearer, the behavior re-started immediately.

It is hard to say if keeping the peepers on 3 months and/or now that they are a few months into egg laying is the cause of the behavior ceasing or not. I will be taking all peepers off over the next month or two and will keep my eye on things.

Even though my birds are laying, I do keep them on a 20% protein layer feed, suppliment with BOSS, flock blocks, lots of veggies...they are in a large covered run and cannot free-range. I also have roosts positioned throughout, and feeder/waters in two run locations as well as inside the coop.

I'll keep you all posted as I go through peeper removal, as to whether former peeper-wearers can now behave themselves...

(Peeper application - I soak them in hot water for a few minutes and find that they go on very easily. Still a two-person job, but when the peepers are soft they only take seconds to put on.)

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Thanks for the information on the wearing of the peepers. A couple of mine have lost/broke theirs but don't seem to be the ones doing the pecking so I have not replaced them. Plus with my husband out of town on a job I have to call a friend to help get them back on.

Did the feather on the "peckees" return or do they not get them back until they molt. Can to think of it mine started this at egg laying as well. I too have been giving 20% laying feed but just as a treat in the morning.

I keep watching for your progress reports.

Thanks

Sandee

 

[meadrian]

Oh, I have been trying to avoid this, but I think I need to put it on one of my girls who pecks the other two. My question is regarding water. I have a bucket with nipples I use for their water (they use it and it stays clean). Will the peeper still allow them to see the nipple and access water from it?

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

This weekend I noticed that one of the hens had been pecked and was bleeding a little bit. Put some Blu Kote on it right away. So the three that have lost their peepers are still pecking. My husband gets home next week so hopefully we can get the peepers on those three and calm this down completely. I also noticed that some are getting feathers back around the tail area.

As for water. I have the 2 gallon galvanized insulted buckets that have a 1 1/2" rim where they drink from and they are doing OK with it. I was watching them last night and their heads just fit. The peepers are designed so they can only see down so if they have to look up to get to the nipples it might be a problem for them - but not 100% sure since I don't have that type.

Sandee

 

[meadrian]

Thanks! At this point I'm ready to change waterers than have this continue.