Sooo much pooping

[hopingforchickens]

I've had my chickens for nearly two years now, from quite early on they have pecked each other's frilly knickers and all have varying degrees of bare bottoms. I've tried beak rings, bumpa bits and tar, in addition to this they have been in a much improved new run since the summer, they have a good diet, supplements and hanging veg to keep them entertained and lots of perches etc. I think they were maybe bored originally and now it is habit, they all do it so removing one wouldn't help. In September I successfully introduced 2 other chickens, who now also have bare bottoms and it makes me so sad. I really don't know what to do anymore, a friend has suggested having their beaks trimmed as a last resort, but it sounds awful, please, please help me...

[fantasticjudyann]

Chickens like red bare bottoms to peck so you have to try and disguise them. Try purple wound spray. It disguises the red and is an antiseptic as well. Best of luck

[hopingforchickens]

Chickens like red bare bottoms to peck so you have to try and disguise them. Try purple wound spray. It disguises the red and is an antiseptic as well. Best of luck

forgot to mention have also tried purple spray... was told at my chicken supplier that the tar is good for that as well, but neither have worked.

[Patricia W]

I have a white Polish bantam, Madonna, who does this to her cage mates, ( both frizzles) in the summer. Strangely she stops in the winter. This has happened 2 years in a row. Not sure why. She hasn't started this year yet ( fingers crossed). I've tried everything and nothing has worked. They are too small for beak rings or bumpa bits. Now they DO work on the bigger ones. At least Madonna lets them keep their clothes on in winter!

[fantasticjudyann]

Forgot to mention that I had a similar problem with my three and one had to be PTS because her prolapse had been pecked to pieces. So I put beak rings on the other two so they could not cannibalise each other and it stopped. BUT..........my Bluebelle still has a bald red bum! It has been checked and is not bleeding or infected , just bald and red. She is behaving quite normally and you can see the feathers are coming through but nothing happens.

 

It seems odd that this has been happening to all yours. I did read somewhere ( maybe on the Forum ) that when they settle down on the nest bedding to lay, the bedding can rub away at the skin and cause this. Perhaps some kind and clever soul will come along and produce a solution.

 

I always used to get lots of good advice from Barbara at Omlet but she is now retired

[hopingforchickens]

Sometimes I catch them pecking each other and even pulling feathers out of their own legs (one in particular). Sometimes you can see re-growth and I give them tuna every now and again for each protein but as soon as the feathers come through they are gone, I just want nice fluffy chickens!

[jasperaliceuk]

Totally sympathise as I am in exactly the same position! I have one remaining bumpa bit still intact on the chickens and she is the worst one for the feather pulling. I see her doing it with no problem whatsoever!

 

I spray them with purple spray and antipek too but I've not tried stockholm tar.

 

I'm just about resigned to it - have had no injuries. I separated out the worst two a couple of months ago but they are straight back to it. I suspect if they were totally free ranging it may not happen as I don't see them doing it when out in the garden or when I've hung up some cabbage. Best value distraction has been the leaves from a cauli - kept intact but hung up in the centre of the run. That lasts about three days as they just can't resist having a peck even if its is pretty well denuded of all the leafy bits. I make anti peck blocks too but can never seem to make them hard enough to last.

 

They have 10 sq metres of run, lots of perches but it still happens.

 

Its an ongoing battle!

 

Sue

[fantasticjudyann]

Yes I think the distraction stuff works.

. I've only got 2 chooks at the moment but I've found that a couple of boredom busters help a bit so I've suspended a cabbage /cauliflower/ head of broccoli on a bolt from the top of the WIR so as well as pecking it moves about so they have to work harder

. I've also put spring greens into a string bag and suspended that from the side of the run and they like that but have to work hard to get the reward.

[sparkysmum]

Hi, sorry to hear about this problem. It sounds distressing for you to deal with. Whilst I have no experience of this my self, I was wondering if they had much free range time. I sometimes feel that chickens antisocial behaviour may be due to confinement for lengthy periods. However I am very aware that some breeds will do better being confined than others. Sorry I cant be more helpful. Alli x

[Eggasperated]

I went through this with my girls and tried every spray under the sun, even bumper bits didn't stop them. The worst offender was rehomed quite early on as even separated she managed to call the others over to her and she would pull feathers through the wire fence .

 

As the pecking was being done by the black rock crosses we eventually installed them in a separate house and run where they could pull the feathers out of one another, the rest of the girls then grew all their feathers back.

 

This was the only solution we could find and obviously not practical for everyone. Now I only have one black rock left but she still has her own house as OH refuses to let her in with the others until she can sign an affidavit saying she will not pull feathers ever again .

 

And my girls have the run of 50m and 25m electric fenced area all the time!

[hopingforchickens]

Thanks for all your thoughts everyone, I tried all these things. I don't let them free range apart from on a Saturday when I'm cleaning them out as I only have a fairly small garden and I am a childminder so can't really have chicken poo everywhere, so there's not really any way round that. They do have a nice big WIR with different levels and perches though. I hang veg out for them but don't really want to put anymore out than I already do as it effects their poo. Anyone have any other boredom busting suggestions? (although I don't think it is boredom I think they just do it out of habit now...)

 

Also has anyone got any thoughts on beak trimming? It sounds a bit harsh to me. As someone has already said, they aren't doing any harm in so much as they never break the skin, but it can't be good for them to have to constantly put energy into regrowing feathers all the time. Plus I want beautiful chickens not ones that look unloved!