Pinless Peepers and still pecking feathers :(

[tylersmum]

3 of my 7 girls were getting their feathers pecked out by the other 4 so we put the pinless peepers on the worst offenders. It was good for about 2 days and now at least one of them with the pinless peepers is right back to her old tricks and I think that one of the others who hadn't been pecking has started. Had to blue kote of of the EEs this morning because she was pecked raw and starting to bleed a bit. ugh! I have been feeding BOSS every day, giving treats, flock block in the coop... I don't know what else to do... any ideas?

 

[Uzuri]

Try separating them from the flock for a while and remove non-protein-increasing treats (AKA, everything but the BOSS) from their diet. That said, sometimes when they get started they just won't stop. What finally, finally put an end to the last of my picking issues was eating an evil hen who just stressed all the others to no end. Turned out that she wasn't doing much picking, but her attitude was causing nervous habits in the others.

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you really don't want to get rid of them, you can put anti-picking bits on them.

I don't keep birds with contagious bad habits. As far as I am concerned that is just as bad as keeping a bird with a serious contagious disease with your flock and not removing it. I recommend removing them from the flock before they teach the bad habit to everyone else.

Incidentally, it might be a very good time to check your birds to make sure they don't have lice or mites.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Try separating them from the flock for a while and remove non-protein-increasing treats (AKA, everything but the BOSS) from their diet. That said, sometimes when they get started they just won't stop. What finally, finally put an end to the last of my picking issues was eating an evil hen who just stressed all the others to no end. Turned out that she wasn't doing much picking, but her attitude was causing nervous habits in the others.

I agree with this post, pinless peepers did work for me on one of our Delawares and I'd wish I had them for the other that we ended up culling because of her attitude, she was horrible and made all the other girls stressed out. You may need to install the peepers on all birds and see what happens but for sure separate the meanie and if it does not change, then you'll need to do somthing with her, the other birds will feel much better when she's gone.

 

[chickensnsheep]

I had pinless peepers on my chickens for around a week. Then I noticed it was hurting one of my hens so I took the peeper off... and it had left 2 dents in the poor girls beak on either side of her head. Then I took the peepers off the rest of my birds and found the same results... D: Before I took them off I also found that a lot of my older hens hadn't been eating well either... those peeper things are awful! I feel so bad for putting those things on my chickens, you should take the peepers off your hens too and make sure they're all right. The reason I bought the peepers was that I was having trouble integrating some new poults into the coop. They were having particular trouble with my obnoxious Buff Orphington, Orange, who happens to be their mother... <.< Then I read online that the reason chickens peck on each other so much is that they're bored, and that it helps a lot to put in hiding places, extra food and water bowls, and interactive things like an apple on a stick, cabbage on a rope, or a pumpkin with a hole in the side of it so the chickens can peck out the insides. I've tried the cabbage thing. with 18 chickens, three turkeys, and two geese it was gone in 2 days. O.O I can't wait to try the pumpkin thing... it'd be a great way to get rid of pumpkins after Halloween. It's also very important to have enough space for your chickens. How big is your coop?