Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: moomintroll on May 16, 2012, 20:04

Title: Succumbed to a beak clip :-0 couple of questions please
Post by: moomintroll on May 16, 2012, 20:04

Well after rehoming my persistent feather pecking cuckoo maran 2 or 3 weeks ago, my black rock has now started pecking the cockerels bum! Definitely not as bullyish or persistent, but I think my cockerel Max is going through a slight moult. The new feathers are too tempting for her!! I have attached a beak clip because Max really needs some relief from having such a sore bottom from the marans pecking. I have exhausted all other options including anti peck spray, vaporub, purple spray etc etc

Amy (said black rock) has been in a huff this afternoon, but when she thinks i'm not watching, she's been eating, drinking and scratching in dirt as usual.

I saw Max preening his back earlier, and a couple of feathers fell off him. She has tried to pick his feathers up off ground but obviously keeps dropping them.

Question is, should i pick up as many of his fallen feathers as possible to reduce encouragement or just leave them?

I saw her go for his bum before but obv not able to pull feathers. How long will it take to break the habit?

Sorry for the bombard of questions  ;)

Title: Re: Succumbed to a beak clip :-0 couple of questions please
Post by: GrannieAnnie on May 16, 2012, 22:30

Hard to say how long it will take her to stop doing the evil deed.  Someone I knew who used beak bits, it worked in a few days, another friend, tried it and it took weeks!

I'd leave the feathers, not worth trying to pick them all up, after all, Max is a walking feather duvet!!!

It won't hurt for her to keep the beak bit on.

Title: Re: Succumbed to a beak clip :-0 couple of questions please
Post by: moomintroll on May 18, 2012, 11:29

Thanks GrannieAnnie,

Amy seems used to beak clip now, it doesn't appear to be bothering her. So I think I'll keep it on for say a fortnight or until Maxs' feathers fully grow on his bottom. Then try her without. She really wasn't persistently pecking, just very interested in his new fluffy growth. But I resorted to beak clip to hopefully nip problem in bud.

 :)

Title: Re: Succumbed to a beak clip :-0 couple of questions please
Post by: GrannieAnnie on May 18, 2012, 15:35

Sometimes they learn their lesson, hopefully your little girl won't want her beak clip back on and she'll leave Max alone!!!   :)

Title: Re: Succumbed to a beak clip :-0 couple of questions please
Post by: moomintroll on May 18, 2012, 15:44

I do hope so  :lol: