RIR picking like crazy...NEED HELP

[fowlman33]

I have about 70 RIR hens and I have 2 Roosters in with them.....the hens do not have any feathers at the base of their tails, some are just bloody they have been picked so hard. I thought it was becasue I changed to a less expensive food and they weren't getting what they needed in their diet but it's not subsiding at all. I also thought it could be from the roosters, but it seems like "some" of my hens would be feathered out nicely.

What is causing this ????

 

[fried green eggs]

Protein level can cause this, so can boredom, over crowding or mean rough roosters. Unfortunately once chickens see red or blood it's a trigger for cannibalism and they all will peck at it. You need to cover any blood with blu kote - purple spray antiseptic available at TSC. I think there is also a product called Peck No More that is suppose to work. They make aprons to put on hens to protect their back but, you might want to make your own out of duct tape as it would be pretty pricey for 68 hens. I've see them advertised here and on ebay. You might also want to check out "bits" plastic thing put on chickens to prevent them from being able to bite feathers. Good Luck

 

[fowlman33]

If I add some kind of Protein supplement to their diet and that is the issue, when should i see results or expect to see improvement?

 

[fried green eggs]

If this is strictly diet related you will see results with in a few days - At least I did when I started giving mine a few cans of tuna fish. I also switched to a different feed formula with a higher protein and was much cheaper than tuna fish too. I would try to give them other things to peck at too, like hanging cabbage or other treats to try to break the habit. I give mine alfalfa hay and they seem to like that. Good Luck.