Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2009, 10:44:12 am
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The other day the temperatures got down in the low teens and a roosters comb was bleeding again. This is not the same rooster as before. This morning as he was out pecking around with his head down and butt in the air there seemed to be a spot where feathers are missing and his skin is really red. It isn't bleeding but it is blood red.
Any thoughts?
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My guess is you have a feather picker. Usually the hens. They will rip the rooster's tail feathers out.
Make sure your flock is getting enough protein and they aren't bored. If you let them out to get away from each other it keeps them from going after each other so much.
You may already be doing this but you just have a feather picker anyway.
Put some Blue Kote on him to seal up the area so it doesn't get any worse.
See if you can find out who is doing it and isolate her if it gets worse.
In the bad weather when they can't get out as much its a good idea to give them something to occupy themselves and to peck at.
You can hang a cabbage or something similar to a string and let them go at it. I buy those 25 lb flock blocks that purina makes.
Its a bunch of different grains with protein and vitamins and minerals mixed in and formed into a big block.
It gives them something to satisfy their pecking urges.
http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=blue+kote+spray&fr=yfp-t-823-s&u=www.bluekote.com/&w=blue+kote+spray&d=W1Gabw-YSLSQ&icp=1&.intl=us
http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT170412
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Natalie, you just gave me the invention of the century. I know that the chickenyard critters get rather bored, I can see that they may become feather pickers.
Jerrry, I have seen my old rooster with a few feathers missing on his butt too, and it looked rather red. I never found out who the feather picker was, but I am sure that Natalie is right. His feathers eventually grew back.
I am thinking that I am going to get that plastic onion bag and fill it full of goodie type stuff for the chickens to peck at in their chicken house when they are inside so much. I bet that would work like a hot darn. I have a few old bags like that, it would keep them busier than ol' getout for surely. Great ideas, from the minds' of us......have a wonderful, most awesome day, attract great health. Cindi
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And to think that I was going to suggest hemaroids! :roll:
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They usually run free. No limits. Neighbors haven't complained yet. :-D But the other day it got real cold and had frozen fog/sleet and they didn't want to get out so I left them shut in until later in the afternoon. I guess they finally got bored and some of them braved the cold for a bit.
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Sometimes hens will groom the roosters here and there but when they go too far and you see the red skin it can instigate the pecking.
Once chickens see blood they won't stop going at it. Thats why the blue kote helps, it will seal the area and give it a chance to heal and his feathers to grow in.
Sometimes upping their protein helps as well.
Cindi, sounds like a plan! Let us know how they like it.
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OOh Cindi, yoiu will have to take pics of your chicken pinyata! That BlueKote is almost like magic! Even sprayed it on myself when too busy to go in & play nurse. I know it saved Miss Ginny. Was noticing she was very lavender this afternoon in her new spring finery! Off chix for a bit here but Rose is doing great. She will let me halter her (after a token fit..) & as of today can walk up & hook the leadrope. She even walked up & sniffed me all over, even getting cow-slobber in my hair! A good day! :yippiechick: J
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When life throws you a feather picker, make chicken stew. :catchchick: :yippiechick:
...JP
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When life throws you a feather picker, make chicken stew. :catchchick: :yippiechick:
...JP
Speaking of feather pickers, I'm going to make myself a chicker picker, one that Plucks (probably will come out Pbleep) the feathers off the chickens. I need a 18 section of black ABS 4 inch pipe, a 2 ft metal rod, an electric motor, and an 8 ft length of doweling cut into 6 in lengths. Then I'll need to build a housing with a slotted grate for the top.
I saw an electric feather plucker on Dirty Jobs and it removed the feathers from ducks and geese in less then 30 seconds. Fantastic.
That's when I said, I need one of those.
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Judging by the bloody comb and the bloody back end and lack of feathers he's getting pecked. Where is he on the pecking order?
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He is the head honcho. The big guy. The man. My daughter calls him Big Papa.
I believe it is the cold dry weather that caused the comb to bleed. It happened on another rooster when the temperature went into the mid teens.
I think y'all have misunderstood about the other part. It is not the tail feathers. AND it IS NOT bleeding but the skin is really red. It is lower down, almost between the legs. Don't think anyone is a feather picker.
I was just wondering if it was a skin condition. Perhaps it is where he sleeps. He doesn't actually roost on one of the rails. He chooses a solid flat surface. The roof over the nesting boxes. Perhaps he squirms around and rubs it raw.
He gets up there and when I go in to check them out before closing the door for the night, he is above my head and looking down at me he gives me this wicked look that says "I'm better than you."
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Hey Jerry, maybe "little Jerry" has jock itch.
...JP
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(http://ephemerist.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/anti-monkey-butt.jpg)
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Well, if he is head honcho and such a ladies man, maybe he has road rash. ;)
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Hey, that Monkey Butt powder really works! I put it in the Girls stockings last year & sent one to one of Amanda's best friends in the Navy. She was the only one on that boat with MBP! Everyone was jealous! J
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Speaking of feather pickers, I'm going to make myself a chicker picker, one that Plucks (probably will come out Pbleep) the feathers off the chickens. I need a 18 section of black ABS 4 inch pipe, a 2 ft metal rod, an electric motor, and an 8 ft length of doweling cut into 6 in lengths. Then I'll need to build a housing with a slotted grate for the top.
I saw an electric feather plucker on Dirty Jobs and it removed the feathers from ducks and geese in less then 30 seconds. Fantastic.
That's when I said, I need one of those.
Oooh Brian, how cool is that!!! I am so impressed with what you can do. If/when we have the bee barbeque this summer (I will probably be living about 4 hours further north, but will still do my ding dangest to come), I would love to see that in action. Never mind the pigeons, let's do a big fat rooster for one of the menu items, picked and plucked the same day, smiling.
Jerry, right, so you were the one talking about Monkey Butt Powder. I remember my Husband talking about his his "butt grabber" seat on his Harley that bugs the crap out of him and he gets "monkey butt" (think that's what he calls it). It is kind of painful from what I can gather, smiling. I remember telling him that "someone" on the forum had talked about this monkey butt powder, it must have been you, guess you got experience, eh? Smiling, and indeed a hee haw!!!
It kind of reminds me of when I used to ride my mare bareback, saddle sores between the butt cheeks, that really hurts!!
Anyways, it was cool to see that picture of the actual "monkey butt powder". Have a great, most awesomely wonderful day, health. Cindi
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I don't recall ever talking about the MB powder. I have seen this product at Tractor supply.
Nope, no personal experience. But if it ever happens I'll be sure to post pictures. :-D
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I don't recall ever talking about the MB powder. I have seen this product at Tractor supply.
Nope, no personal experience. But if it ever happens I'll be sure to post pictures. :-D
Oh, :? :shock: :shock: :shock:. Maybe it was a Monkey Butt pad? Something about Monkey butt. Gonna have to do a search, hold on......it was probably over a year ago.
OK, sorry Jerry, it was TwT and Robo that the monkey butt topics came up, see this thread that I made about the Spyder motorcycle. Funny how you came up in my memory, instead of these guys, must have you on the brain these days.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,11541.0.html
Topic 14 and 17......
It is funny how sometimes our memory remembers something that is not the right thing, have that wonderful and most awesome day, Cindi
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If it's just red skin it's just age. The exposed skin gets red like the comb sometimes. He probably wears the feathers off...
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If it's just red skin it's just age. The exposed skin gets red like the comb sometimes. He probably wears the feathers off...
Yep, he may be moulting too. One thing to keep in mind is that feather picking can also be a sign of a deficiency in the diet as well as boredom or social order. Bare skin will turn red due to sunlight, cold, "friction" or picking. I'd be surprised if he's getting henpecked on his belly, it's usually tail, head or back.
J-