Perhaps in my original post, I didn't explain myself clearly. Earl has NO wound, NO broken flesh and therefore I felt safe in applying the tiny bit of the cayenne in the Vick's. He simply has a loss of overlying feathers, like they might have picked them put. And no I wouldn't put something contraindicated in an open wound on myself or anyone else. I worked 31 yrs in the medical profession so I wouldn't knowingly treat any of my animals to any hurtful remedy. At first I felt that you were giving ME the henpecked treatment there, Chicken Canoe. However, thankfully the second reply helped me realize that the original post may have indeed been misleading. CrazyTalk, thanks for your input--especially about the capsaicin. This I didn't know...there is so much I don't know as this is my first flock. I've been keeping a close eye on this pecking since it was first noted and it really hasn't gone to the point where I need to remove him. The pecking seemed to settle for awhile and now I can see that it's happening again, so I'm on it again BEFORE it gets in the "red zone"! Chicken Canoe: they're eating pellets and I give them treats (veggie cuts, leftover lettuce, bread etc) almost every night. I've hung a cabbage so that they have something to peck at and break the boredom since they refuse to leave the coop due to the snow. And you are right-- they are young. They came to me at about 21/2 months old mid Sept...so they could be around five months or a little under.
I've been watching my flock "like a hawk" from the first time I noticed that a hen was pecking at Earl's side. I've been researching since before they arrived....and going to every single source available to help raise them up well and healthy, hence my post here. Thanks for your input. Every little bit helps!
