[rudy]

I went to a show on Saturday and there was a stand for the Chicken Vet. I asked about feather pecking treatments and the guy recommended Amino Plus and Oreo-Stim to calm them and replace missing fats.

Has anyone ever tried this and with what results?

The Oreo-Stim just looks like a herbal extract - will it work?
I would pay the £8.75 plus p&p if it did!

[joyfull]

it is a herbal mixture made from types of oregano - they also say it helps with chickens digestive system. Not sure why it would work for feather pecking - feather eating can be through a lack of protein.

[rudy]

The guy said it would help relax the chickens and calm them down, a bit like sedating them!
- perhaps to break their behaviour pattern?

[joyfull]

what sort of feather pecking have you got?

[rudy]

I thought they were just moulting because of their barebums and barethighs but when you look closely they have 'half' feathers on their necks and backs. I have seen them peck at each other as well.

 I have 10 chooks altogether - 6 hylines, 3 bluebelles and one cockerel in a coop for up to 12, up my allotment, in a run 20ft by 15ft.
They have layers pellets in the mornin, more at lunch time with corn and some green stuff which I put in a wild bird feeder so they have to work to get it.
I have wormed them, given them lard cakes with mealworms, fat balls, ACV in their water for a week and dusted them for mites.
I have jeyes fluid cleaned the coop.

I go up the allotment 3 times a day, talk to them and give them the odd worm etc.

I'm not sure what else to do. They look quite scruffy.

[SusieB]

I'm no expert, but I would stop the lard cakes and fat balls - they are for wild birds who need the concentrated calorie content.  Somebody will be along soon to say why fats are bad for chucks.

[joyfull]

You are quite correct Susie, all the treats except for the greens should be cut out - they will then eat the layers (which needs to be available all day), this has been known to cut down on feather pecking and eating as they then will be getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. If moulting you can increase the amount of protein by feeding them a little cat food (not chiken flavour) or some cooked egg if you wish but I don't - I just mix a tonic into their water - I use lifeguard for this.
It is bad for chickens as for other animals to have such a high fat diet.