Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[chickinboy]

Right, I've had enough of bald chickens. I don't mind a bit of bare bottom as I understand that lots of hens do that to themselves. But, as well as shiney bums I have bare backs and pertruding chests, all getting bigger! Tried anti-pek spray, bumper bits, a saddle for the most featherless girl, with no success, and now my big bully has decided to crouch and have the others come and have a meal from her back, so she looks just as bad. They have no visible crawlies, their WIR is big with plenty of hentertainment......so have now resorted to the hosepipe. I've read on here that it's considered okay if things are really getting out of hand.

 

Anyone had much luck with a quick squirt of the hose to stop pecking? I'm not spraying the actual bird, just to the side of it - enough to shock. Feel horrible doing it, but it works at the time. I've been doing this for a couple of days during their FR time, and it is become less frequent. All the chooks get scared when I fire, including the ones that were minding their own business- but I'm hoping that because they can hear that familiar yelp of a sister losing a feather, they'll associate it with that, as well as stopping the culprit.

 

They get a lot of FR time, but I guess a lot of the feathers get pulled when they're in their WIR. Do you think I need to squirt them in there too? Or will they assume that if it's bad outside, it's bad inside?!

 

I hope I'm not being cruel. They don't seem too disturbed after a few seconds of playing 'danger statues' after the squirt.

[moochoo]

I had a terrible time with feather pulling and eating at to be honest I tried it all, spraying water, ukadex stinky spray, anti pecking spray, larger walk in run with tonnes of perches and hentertainment. It still went on....

The only way I've now got 13 fully feathered ladies is thanks to using bumper bits.

I applied them last summer and have left them on until they fell off months later and in that time they've broken the feather pulling habit and are all fully feathered and not a bare bum in sight.

It may seem harsh but it does work.

[chickyhazel]

We got round feather eating with a spray can after a few weeks. It seems harsh but it does work if you persevere. If it isn't working, don't be afraid to gently spray the actual chicken. We used a spray can beacause it's much more gentle than a hose!

 

Hazel, Ranger, Audi, Porsche, RIP Chestnut, +1 not named

Noodle

 

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[Alis girls]

What are bumper bits please?

[moochoo]

They are plastic "muzzles" for chickens that fit around their beak. They stop hens grabbing hold of another chickens feathers but does not prevent them from eating or drinking.

 

Here is a very useful post about buying and using them: viewtopic.php?f=41&t=22584

[abwsco]

Sarah, did you bit all of yours as we tried with a beak ring on Saturday on our feather plucker and had to take it off as the rest were all pecking at her mouth and chasing her round the garden.

[theherd123]

Abwsco - this happened with my chooks too but when I had issues with feather plucking we anti-peck ringed all the girls and it seemed to help with the others not chasing as all of them were sulky!!!

[Luvachicken]

One of my chickens turned naughty after all the snow, something that frightened the life out of them ( i didn't mean to ) was a washing up bottle filled up with water and whatever bubbles were left in it . I'd been squirting the naughty one every time she did it but on the very last squirt the bottle let out an enormous noise and she doesn't seem to have done it since. Mind you, she may have just got fed up of the ukadex stuff.

[moochoo]

Yes, I bumper bitted them all because even though I thought I knew which couple of hens were feather pulling I found out they were all doing it just to different degrees.

Even though I felt really awful apllying 13 bumper bits it was such a relief to know the pulling was over. It was the best thing I did for my girls.

They do peck each others beaks initially because they think it's food in their mouths but that soon stops.

[Alis girls]

Thanks for that - I thought it was summat you stuck on their bums to prevent the others pecking. I must stop reading this as I get my chucks next month and am a gibbering wreck reading all these probs.