Need some input on this.
My Serama's are picking each other and I can find absolutely no reason for it.
They have plenty of room, light, warmth, all kinds of different food to eat and yet they actually hunt and eat the feathers that are on the floor of the chicken house. They are choosing feathers on each other and then they yank out the feather from the poor victim and eat it.
I have put in a pan full of grit and something for them to take a dust bath in.
I can find no trace of lice, mites or anything other kind of parasite.
I have raised many, many chickens, but this is something I have having a hard time dealing with. Never had this kind of problem before.
Do I need more protein for these birds?
Anyone have some other ideas for me please?
CS
Cannibalism in my Serama's
copperstone,
I had this problem with my first trio. I found there was one main culprit that did it the most. I got rid of her and the others calmed down.
YOu may want to try and figure out who's doing it the most and separate them or get rid of them whichever you prefer.
Good Luck,
Kristin
Sorry copperstone in my experience some chickens just pick some may tell you it's nutrtional but me for the most part there are pickers and they need to be controled not fed.
I would sudjest removeing them from eachother so they can't pick eachother if they ever draw blood they will pick that one to death. After their feathers grow back try and let them be together again.
If you can't seperate them smear the picked ones with pine tar thats what i use when my chicks pick at eachother.
I know this may not be what you want to hear but it's the truth.
Young birds WILL grow out of it if it's controled but an older bird never will and i have killed pickers because they can really be a nuisence in a flock.
hi! do you know how to post a new thread? as for this picking bisines i dont know, i am new to the chicken world
Copperstone - I have successfully used the Rooster Booster brand of anti-pick lotion to prevent picking in hens that were short of feathers on their backs. The other girls would see that and peck at them. After using that lotion, the picking subsided considerably.
I got mine from Randall Burkey - it is only $6.99 so not extremely expensive.
http://www.randallburkey.com/prodinfo.asp?number=29010
Worth a try!
Claire
Hi chickengrl--just hit the green "Poultry and Livestock" then go to the bottom of the page and you will find a section for starting a new thread.