Surviving Minnesota!

[Cluckies]

Quote: Hahaha!

 

[KlopKlop]

I found the North St. Louis county SWCD.  It doesn't have dates yet or really much detailed info on the spring tree sale.  I was hoping to find some more info like a packet or something.  maybe I should swing into the office in Virginia to see if they have something.
I am still checking out the DNR site and all their trees.  Ooooo weeee I could have fun picking out 500 trees and finding places for them all.  Can 35 acres hold 500 trees?

Ralphie I hope you are having a great time with future Mrs. DuluthRalphie!!!`

Our SWDC doesn't release the calendar/catalog until later this month. I didn't realize I was looking at last years catalog yesterday, as it was labeled 2015. I didn't think that meant 2015 delivery.
Delivery is usually early April down here.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hope you have all been well. Been busy so havent been on much.

Not my favorite pictures but its the only one!! Dont judge!!

Well holm you did a great job getting the matching colors. So did you get asked by all 3 girls to the Sadie Hawkins dance?! Holy cats!

Ralphie don't break Taylor's heart she'll write a scathing heart broke song about you and your reputation will be ruined while she makes a few more million.

I tell you I never had feather pickers but helped a friend with some. One thing I noted was that some mornings the feed bin was empty or the water fount was empty and the birds were waiting on him. Stressed. I told him he needed to up his routine. As soon as he became more prompt on his chores or kept everything in good supply all the time his feather pickers actually stopped. We also did merrick's water supplements too. And I think he picked up feather fixer. But ultimately for this guy it came down to good everyday chores. I don't think he was used to filling the feeder more often or the water fount more often with the switch from fall to winter. And we all know how much more a bird eats and drinks in the winter months. That may or may not be the case with you Minnesota nice. But I see it happening to me every fall/winter to bring down feed and water almost two to three x as much as when it's summer. There's always that adjustment.

 

[KlopKlop]

BC you aren't kidding about how much more they eat and drink in the winter. Makes me really appreciate how much they eat when they free range. I would say they are eating at least 50-60% more feed when snow is on the ground.

These warm days have been nice in that respect that they are out foraging and getting a exercise.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Yeah, who knows what will stresses a chicken out? The Vaseline trick of BR sounds interesting. I ordered a bottle of rooster booster pick no more. Gonna try that if they go back to picking. The blukote might work to hide the bald spot cause she is a dark chicken. I've had mixed reviews with it though seems to work sometimes, other times not (for me). I've also heard that pine tar could help as it tastes bad. Messy tough.

Here is a link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/back-to-basic-living-feather-picking-plucking-and-cannibalism

I also had cluck-cluck in pinless peepers for a few months, I took them off of her about a month or 2 ago to see if she is "cured" (she is the instigator)... we'll see. (i've taken them off before and she immediately started picking again,

) I did put saddles on 2 of mine until they had grown all their feathers back, i'd take them off every few days so they could groom on the roost and then put them back on in the morning, so I think that may have helped maybe? who knows. terrible habit.
there is also something called bumpa bits you can put on for a week or so, i've not tried those, they can't close their beak all the way so can't grab feathers. so then they forget about the habit. you have to know the culprit, and not leave it on too long or they could get a deformed beak. good luck.

They typically roost in the same pattern, so I have a few ideas of who it may be. I'm staging a stakeout tonight with a few beers

There's also a change in the pecking order right now, so I may not catch the culprit for awhile. I'll try the Rooster Booster and see how it works. Like @Bogtown Chick mentioned, there's no break in the skin, so I'll hold off on the blu-kote at the moment. I just got the RB Peck no More and I've used blu-kote on my dog here an there over the years and it has worked great. The vet actually asked me what I was using - he was impressed. I'll toss on some bag balm if all else fails.

Do you think rehoming the culprit would be an option or is a bad habit simply a bad habit no matter the surroundings and flock?

Thanks for all of the advice! Dang chickens stress me out.

Did I hear that @duluthralphie ditched Carrie for Taylor? It's not so easy being Ralphie.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I tell you I never had feather pickers but helped a friend with some. One thing I noted was that some mornings the feed bin was empty or the water fount was empty and the birds were waiting on him. Stressed. I told him he needed to up his routine. As soon as he became more prompt on his chores or kept everything in good supply all the time his feather pickers actually stopped. We also did merrick's water supplements too. And I think he picked up feather fixer. But ultimately for this guy it came down to good everyday chores. I don't think he was used to filling the feeder more often or the water fount more often with the switch from fall to winter. And we all know how much more a bird eats and drinks in the winter months. That may or may not be the case with you Minnesota nice. But I see it happening to me every fall/winter to bring down feed and water almost two to three x as much as when it's summer. There's always that adjustment.

I'm going to add a feeder to the outdoor run. I don't know how often the girls go into the coop and eat during the day. Obviously they do, but maybe not enough. I think I might start mixing their normal feed with game bird feed as well since the protein content is higher and the important stuff seems the same. Maybe give them eggs once a week, too. I think I'll add another water fount inside as well. Their water and food is always full.....I'd be afraid if it wasn't! I'd be attacked by crazy hens. I did add some electrolyte/vitamin supplements to the water this morning and will do that for awhile.

 

[Chickenchick11]

Whoever that guy is, is a nobody she would drop him for me in a second. I am well known by me, he is not.

Yep, I can believe that!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I'm always taken aback by the food/water fluctuation Kloppers...you know it.

Cluckies. You have all sorts of great tidbits on the feather picking. I love it. Minnesota Nice: If you have one place to get food and water for the girls that should suffice. Those crazy nuts can go get their food and water...you'd think. But I have inheritantly lazy feathered fluffy butts myself. So...it could be a solution. I love the idea of you out there having beers and watching for the first peck. To be honest when I watched my friend's birds it was very subtle. I saw her almost look like she was helping with a preen. It also turned out she was the lead hen. So that may be something to look at. I think lead hens do eat more as well as have an overall dominant personality which would fit with the behavior.

There was also an article I read on here with another tactic--which would require more beer drinking and watching patiently. But the writer suggested a behavioral therapy in which she would put coins in a tin can and rattle it obnoxiously everytime the picker would start to buffet on the flockmates' feathers. She would stop, startled. And if she started to peck again...got another rattle. LOL. It makes sense since chickens are fairly easy to condition. But again would require time spent watching chicken TV on a haybale and probably several days in a row. I thought it was interesting though. What a pain for you Minnesota Nice.

Gosh ...I love chickens. LOL.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh for increasing Protein: just look at what your layer feed (assuming you use layer feed) protein percentage and go to the Farm supply place and maybe compare the different feed bags. Perhaps Gamebird feed.... Then you can mix it in 1/2 and 1/2 with the layer or add it in at 30% of the feed. I've not done it before...but have read of people adjusting protein this way.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ralphie: I think Jumping the Broom is a Southern Folk saying for getting hitched. How is Taylor behaving?

Jumping the broom
Jumping the broom is a phrase and custom relating to a wedding ceremony where the couple jumps over a broom. The custom is based on an 18th-century idiomatic expression for "sham marriage", "marriage of doubtful validity"; it was popularized in the context of the introduction of civil marriage in Britain with the Marriage Act 1836.
Jumping the broom - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_broom