Their Canibals

[7L Farm]

I'v.e posted this everywhere & still don't know what to do. I have 10 pullets 8 months old they are RIR'S & one RIR ROO who is 7 months old. Not long ago I caught the roo pecking the pullets feathers out around their vent & feeding them back to the pullets. Then, I guess the girls caught on & started doing the same. Not all the girls are plucked but atleast 6 of them. It really makes the girls look teribble. I put some blue kote on the area around the vent.Then a few days later I put rooster booster med on them. I also have been feeding them more proteins such as fish , meat, boss, along with their 17% laying pellets & some veggies from the garden. Well, yesterday I put more blue kote around three of the girls vents cause they looked raw. This morning I was checking them out & the roo had a purple beek none of the girls have a purple beek. What to do now? Will , they ever stop this are what? They only peck the vent area why their only? I have inspected all for mites & found none. Does anybody know are should I take one to a vet. One person suggested their going canibalistic & said I should cut their beeks off. I don't want to remove their beeks.

 

[CMV]

Egads! Don't listen to that person. De-beaking chickens is a barbaric practice that leads to chronic pain and long term stress with related health issues as a result.

I have recently discovered a feather picker in my group. I have purchased some pinless peepers to apply to the culprit, as they come highly recommended. Feather picking starts out as either a nutritional issue or behavioral issue, but rapidly becomes a bad habit that is hard (if not impossible) to break. If you have already addressed their nutritional needs and it is still continuing then I would go the same route as I am- get some peepers.

Good luck.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I'm not gonna de-beak them I promise. I'm thinking of moving the roo for 3 or four days. He was busted having a purple beak.He's gonna freak out though. Probably, crow for the entire jail term. Will see!!!

 

[MandyH]

Pinless peepers are THE bomb. You can order them online from several different sites. Sounds like it's time to invest in a few. THey are easy to put on and they DO work. I had a group of chickens picking each other to death no matter how luxurious their living conditions were. I put peepers on all of them and had no more trouble. You can put them on without any tools. I put them in a cup of hot water and take it with me to the coops and put the chicken between my legs and pop them right on.

 

[greenriver]

Hi 7L Farm, I was wondering how big a pen they are in?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=425513

Here is another thread....

 

[Judy]

It's usually either protein, boredom or space, from what I've read. Are you keeping them locked in the coop, or is your run too small? Do they ever free range? Do you provide extra light to encourage egg laying, or do they get light from something like a street light or security light? This can do it, too. If you just can't let them loose, people sometimes have success with things like hanging a cabbage for them to peck, or a flock block.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
8x 10 coop. 10 x 15 run.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I let them free range everyday for three hours. My coop is 8x10. Run is 10x15. No extra light. Egg production 9 for 10.

 

[greenriver]

OK. then. I am with CMV, try the peepers.