advise please! one of my hens is ripping out other hens feathers

[Yardfarm Family]

My hens are almost a year old and one just started ripping out and eating feathers off the other hens. In a week she has cleared the neck of another hen. I just got back from vacation so didn't know why the girls were missing feathers but after observing today I have spotted the culprit. What should I do? I'm so mad at her behaivor she starting to look like soup to me.

 

[BunkyB]

Biggest reason for feather eating, plucking is nutrition deprived in the feed and amino acids The hen is instinctively going for the nutrients in the feathers their bodies need. It also is a needed amino acid. Believe it or not I walk around, collecting handfuls of feathers(white ones) and using a pair of scizzors I cut them up into smaller pieces and let then fall wherever You will see the hens from time to time, or in your case, the culprit eating these feathers you cut up. Just cut along the tube and not the feather tube. Works for me.....

I forget the exact vitamin they need but a Google search can be educational... Steve

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sometimes they'll do it because of lack of space as well. And rarely out of sheer boredom. If I were you, id take a good look at my set up and the labels on my feed bag. If none of that stuff seems to add up to a problem to you, the soup pot probably is the best place for that meanie. Good luck!

 

[Mattemma]

Space,nutrients,or just a meanie.Try fixing the first 2.Cage to change pecking order.Last is cull or rehome if problem continues.Don't force the others to tolerate this.

 

[azygous]

Would you care to join us on the feather-picking thread? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking We've spent many months exploring the causes and cures for feather-picking and eating. There are many causes, and not many options for a lasting cure, but we've experimented with all of them, and we still have the problem.

Our latest attempt will be to obtain and install a device on several of our hens called a Bumpa-bit. It is worn on the beak to prevent the beak from closing down all the way, thus sparing feathers being grasped and yanked. So far it's working for my main picker, but there are liabilities involved.

Come by and see what we're up to! Maybe we can help.