Why do chickens eat feathers?

Casually walking around eating feathers out of the litter is pretty much normal.

When they start pulling feathers off of other hens, you could be witnessing signs of protein deficiencies. Feeding them scrambled or hard boiled eggs works really well.

This is a first for me. I've wondered why they have such a fetish for feathers; now I know. Today one of mine beat a feather on the ground for about 3 minutes to pulverize the shaft, then swallowed it whole. These critters sure have added an amusement factor to my life.

I've seen my birds eat the small little fluffy down like feathers that are laying around. The feather can be sitting perfectly still and the birds still eat them. Its not like it was moving and the bird mistake it for a bug or something. I feed them grower/finisher and will switch to layer pellets when they are closer to laying, but they should be getting a balanced nutritional diet. My theory is this: The birds don't have the ability to reason and say " I need more protein, let me eat these feathers to augment my diet." I think they just eat things because its there and it fits in their mouth. Just my $.02 on the matter.

I saw mine doing this for the first time yesterday, I just started them on grower finisher last week since the feed store has not had it in stock. protein for it is 15%. prior to this I had them on Home grown all purpose poultry feed over 6 weeks of age, Protein is 16%. they are not old enough to lay yet. all these say they are complete feeds so why would they be lacking in protein and feel the need to eat feathers? they also eat their dusting bin contents daily which they never did before which is sterile soil and DE then they go dig holes to dust in.

Prior to the food switch every night we did a treat of oats, cranberries, wheat, grit, sunflower seeds, millet and a bit of corn before bed and a scrambled egg and their regular feed in a separate container. never saw them eat feathers, crops were nice and pink and they seemed happy and growing.

Stopped doing that when I got some scratch for them to play with since it had everything except the cranberries and egg in it, and I give them that with the new feed in seperate containers and now they are eating feathers, cranky with each other, and their combs are dull and the feather loss. these guys were bought the end of March so they are not old enough to start laying yet.

Literally had one lunge at me one night and not able to get in the coop for two days without assistance, her comb is a bluish purple. Vet says she is fine. I also give them the option of water with ACV, plain water, and chopped garlic with mint and oregano in a container which they randomly pick at. Have read where you should keep the food and water off the ground but they don't like that, something changed they won't eat out of the feeder which is cleaned every day. but they will literally dump the containers on the ground and spread it out. their coop and grounds are cleaned every day but obviously not sterile and DE is spread on the ground at night thinly I might add. seems things were going fine until I switched to the recommended feed of finisher grower and stopped doing my nightly thing in trade for 5 way scratch.

Any advice appreciated.

Taylorbrood said:

I saw mine doing this for the first time yesterday, I just started them on grower finisher last week since the feed store has not had it in stock. protein for it is 15%. prior to this I had them on Home grown all purpose poultry feed over 6 weeks of age, Protein is 16%. they are not old enough to lay yet. all these say they are complete feeds so why would they be lacking in protein and feel the need to eat feathers? they also eat their dusting bin contents daily which they never did before which is sterile soil and DE then they go dig holes to dust in.

Prior to the food switch every night we did a treat of oats, cranberries, wheat, grit, sunflower seeds, millet and a bit of corn before bed and a scrambled egg and their regular feed in a separate container. never saw them eat feathers, crops were nice and pink and they seemed happy and growing.

Stopped doing that when I got some scratch for them to play with since it had everything except the cranberries and egg in it, and I give them that with the new feed in seperate containers and now they are eating feathers, cranky with each other, and their combs are dull and the feather loss. these guys were bought the end of March so they are not old enough to start laying yet.

Literally had one lunge at me one night and not able to get in the coop for two days without assistance, her comb is a bluish purple. Vet says she is fine. I also give them the option of water with ACV, plain water, and chopped garlic with mint and oregano in a container which they randomly pick at. Have read where you should keep the food and water off the ground but they don't like that, something changed they won't eat out of the feeder which is cleaned every day. but they will literally dump the containers on the ground and spread it out. their coop and grounds are cleaned every day but obviously not sterile and DE is spread on the ground at night thinly I might add. seems things were going fine until I switched to the recommended feed of finisher grower and stopped doing my nightly thing in trade for 5 way scratch.

Any advice appreciated.

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How old are your chickens?
How many do you have total?

Have you ever read this:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production

Also you may find this very interesting:
Sudden Death LAB report

they are 15 - 16 weeks of age seven total, no more then 1/4 cup of scratch a day goes in the container. things seemed fine the way I was doing it and changed when I switched out to the grower/finisher and 5 way scratch. I was so dang excited that they had it finally.

as for the grit, garlic and other stuff, that has always been available for them to pick at if they need it and I have had no issues when them gorging on garlic or the other herbs I put out a small amount as some sites say they will eat it if they need it.

Horse wash, they are not eating feathers for Protein. It's like saying Dogs eat their s*it for they are lacking something, NOT. They just eat it because some are just, well I will be nice, they just eat it.
I think chickens do the same.
Mine eat feathers, the small fluffy under feathers. And I had 3 types of feed out for them when I saw them eat it.
They are not eating them much any more. I have bigger feathers laying around they don't touch.
Mine are about 11 weeks about and they are getting bigger better feathers.

I think they just eat things to just eat/peck at.
They are making a mess out of the PVC feeder with Y on it. I think I have one or 2 that like to scratch things onto the ground and just scratch (sussex). the other 2 are not the best "scratchers' yet (the N.H. reds).

They are also mad at me for taking away their 6 inch flat board and leaving just the 2x2 roost. hahaha