Poultry blinders

[tysonb24]

I just purchased the Perfect Peeper w/nylon pins and tried putting them on my pheasants for the first time. They were tough to put through and one of my hens started bleeding. Is this normal and can someone give me some proper instructions on how to do it, so that it won't hurt them.

 

[oleduke]

I will share what worked for me in the past. I caught my hens at night as mine were more calm when a light was in their eyes. I purchased one of those elastic band head lamps with the red LED light (my hands are free this way). I guess this reminded the birds of a heat lamp light, but it was and is always easier for me to go into their pens at night with the red LED light as opposed to a white light. My Jumbo Ring-necks are the only birds that didn't have any problems bleeding when I put these in. I no longer use these as I increased the pen size plus I decreased the amount of birds I have.

Before I caught my birds, I put one pin through one end of the blinder. Only after I caught my birds would I proceed. Secure the bird, pin through one hole of the blinder, then gently push through the nostril and be careful not to angle. The bird will flinch or mine always did which may be what caused your hen to bleed. After the pin is through the birds nostrils, slowly push the pin through the hole. I always took extra care as I didn't want to hurt any of them.

If you look below you will see a noticeable size difference in the two hens. I no longer have Chinese Ring-necks, rather Jumbo and only a few of them. The Chinese are more wild as you can see when I came into the pen on this particular night they began to scurry whereas the Jumbo hen just sat there. They are more tame IMO and I prefer them.

I don't like the peepers by the way, but they work to stop pecking etc...

I used to have Chinese Ring-necks as well, and they are smaller birds especially the hens. I had to order smaller nylon pins for them.
Chinese Ring-neck Hen

Jumbo Hen

 

[tysonb24]

Thanks for the information oleduke. Is there something other than blinders that you would recommend? How big are your pens?

 

[todd walker]

I use the bits,they are cheaper,go in and out faster,and have never had a bird get stuck in the top net with them.
A little blood is no big deal.
good luck

 

[oleduke]

Quote:
Bits are good also, and he is right about the flight nets and blinders getting stuck in them. My main pen is more like a run 20 wide and 50 long with a flight net now removed as I have less than 10 jumbo's. I have 2x2 galvanized wire overhead now. You cannot have this with the Chinese Ring-neck as they will fly straight up and break their necks, but my jumbo's don't. This is why I kept them and sold off the others.

 

[wilds of pa]

if and when i need to use them I use the clip on type blinders/peepers. they just snap into the nostrils of the birds without a pin, the best thing with this type, if they get caught in the netting when flying up they will release without your bird breaking the necks..

blinders work great to if you don't have enough hens for your cockbird, it allows the hens to get an advantage of getting a way from the male or males or even other overly aggressive hens

from cutlers
http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_111&products_id=820

my cockbird with one on