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For those of you with chickens ... there are aluminum blinders for chickens to prevent hen picking / canabialism !They ahve been used for over half a century.
They were ruining my fences, so....
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beeper
Deeply Rooted
WOW, soo interesting, have never seen this before, and I thought I was an animal person, thanks so much for sharing!!!!
valley ranch
Garden Master
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I've seen the transparent red blinders, we use to burn the upper beak back a bit on fryers to stop pecking. It's only when the pinfeathers are on the back that they seemed to do the pecking.
Beekissed
Garden Master
It's being raised in close confinement that causes the feather pecking...I've never had a case of it in 40 yrs., all breeds, ages, sexes, etc.
buckabucka
Garden Addicted
I think it might be genetic in some cases. I had a white leghorn that started picking even as a young chick. I tried feeding her extra protein, and the flock had lots of room, but she did not stop.
She wore pinless peepers for a full year, and then one day they fell off. It was spring, when they were back to free ranging, so I left them off. She was back at it within 24 hours. I gave her away. She was pristine (while everyone else had missing feathers).
I've also had hens start picking after a long winter of confinement, which stopped when they got out to free-range. Someone gave me a tip of putting white pine branches in the coop and run during the winter. They consume them almost as fast as I haul them out there, so I replenish them frequently and it has stopped the picking even during a long winter.
She wore pinless peepers for a full year, and then one day they fell off. It was spring, when they were back to free ranging, so I left them off. She was back at it within 24 hours. I gave her away. She was pristine (while everyone else had missing feathers).
I've also had hens start picking after a long winter of confinement, which stopped when they got out to free-range. Someone gave me a tip of putting white pine branches in the coop and run during the winter. They consume them almost as fast as I haul them out there, so I replenish them frequently and it has stopped the picking even during a long winter.
Chickie'sMomaInNH
Garden Master
i noticed the production hens i added to the flock almost 2 years ago as chicks doing that last year to one of my older hens that is mid range in the pecking order. i think it could be certain breeds too. my cochins, faverolles and other heritage breeds i've had never had this issue in years past.
