Chicken cannibalism??!!!

[Grace8269]

Hi! My chicken flash has been eating the other chickens’ feathers for a while and leaving them as “V” shaped. This has been happening for almost two years and I found that “rooster booster”, a lotion for feather pecking, stops the issue. But it leaves my chickens dyed and they don’t like when I put it on them. I attached a video of flash pecking at another chicken when she was having a dust bath. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thank u!!!

 

[Grace8269]

Here is the new feather shape:

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Sounds like they probably need more protein and or space

 

[Eggcessive]

It is normal for chickens to peck mildly at each other while dust bathing as in your video. What are you feeding? Chickens need at least 16% to 20% protein in a balanced chicken feed or layer feed. How much room do they have, and do they get outside to free range? You may want to consider feather mites affecting your chickens’ feathers.

 

[Lor]

Here is the new feather shape: View attachment 3075324

So, she's like a chicken hair dresser? That's a bit odd. At least she isn't plucking them out.
Sorry, I'm no help.

 

[Grace8269]

It is normal for chickens to peck mildly at each other while dust bathing as in your video. What are you feeding? Chickens need at least 16% to 20% protein in a balanced chicken feed or layer feed. How much room do they have, and do they get outside to free range? You may want to consider feather mites affecting your chickens’ feathers.

They have 16% protein in their chicken feed. They were on 18% for a few months but the feather picking didn’t stop. They have over 80 sq. ft. in the coop. They do get to free range and there are only four chickens. It was two for a while and flash still picked feathers. I don’t know if that helps but I cannot find a solution to this and it seems like no one else experiences this. Thank u for ur response!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you tried something like vaseline or bag balm for the feather picking? Some people use pinless peepers on the hen who is doing the pecking and feather eating. They can see to get around, get food and water, but not to peck at their targets. Look them over for any signs of lice or mites which can cause pecking.

 

[GabrielBernard]

Here is the new feather shape: View attachment 3075324

Those horizontal bars you can see on the feathers, it is either from the beak breaking the feather, but for that it looks to even spaced and straight.

Can you get one of those feathers and make a better picture, so I can see the structure of the feather better?

In wild birds we only had those bar-stripes when the birds were lacking something nutritional, or internal parasites were taking away nutrients from them.

And, as the birds lack nutrients, eating feathers is basically the bird trying to get those lacking nutrients from an other source.

If they are clear of parasites, they might lack some trace elements or vitamins.
Brewer yeast, kelp granulate, flax seeds and bone meal/those dried little shrimps used as fish feed can do wonders about feather eating.

Once the lacking nutrient is added, poop eating, feather eating and cannibalism attempts do stop in the affected animals.

 

[Grace8269]

Those horizontal bars you can see on the feathers, it is either from the beak breaking the feather, but for that it looks to even spaced and straight.

Can you get one of those feathers and make a better picture, so I can see the structure of the feather better?

In wild birds we only had those bar-stripes when the birds were lacking something nutritional, or internal parasites were taking away nutrients from them.

And, as the birds lack nutrients, eating feathers is basically the bird trying to get those lacking nutrients from an other source.

If they are clear of parasites, they might lack some trace elements or vitamins.
Brewer yeast, kelp granulate, flax seeds and bone meal/those dried little shrimps used as fish feed can do wonders about feather eating.

Once the lacking nutrient is added, poop eating, feather eating and cannibalism attempts do stop in the affected animals.

Hi! Thx for responding here’s a better picture. My chicken is sunbathing here so her neck feathers are sticking up a bit