Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[PetRock]

I have a sweet little Golden Sex Link that "grooms" her EE brooder mate's beard and muff by pulling the feathers. They are 1 1/2 yrs. old now but the habit started when they were chicks. She doesn't peck on any of the other birds feathers and only gets the EE's if they are on the roost next to each other. My poor EE has a scraggly looking beard, that's for sure. Maybe Omelet thinks that those feathers are out of place and she needs to take care of them for Dini?!

 

[Goose and Fig]

Its the same reason silkies and other crested breeds can get picked on. "Hey whatcha go tthere? Is it food? "

 

[fowlman01]

I guess the question to ask is........do the top breeders of AM's have this problem? I don't see a lot of flock pics with birds wearing peepers for some reason.

Some strains of chickens have behavior problems, but it is mostly meanness and it is not common to the breed as a whole. You may find that birds from certain breeders have this problem and birds from other breeders don't...I dunno.

Since I have never raised AM's I am at a disadvantage here, but I have raised other breeds with muffs/beards and never found this to be a problem.

I'm just trying to understand why this is happening if it is not the usual things. I am always learning......

Walt

 

[Christie Rhae]

My problem is with hatchery hens. My am chicks are still little and no picking

 

[Illia]

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I have ONE who picks beards, yes, but only that one. And she prefers muffs actually. Beards are left full. Beyond the normal muffs plucking, no, no other sort of plucking.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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My EEs are the pickers. Haven't had a problem with the B/B/S Ameraucanas so far.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

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I haven't had this problem in my Ams, only in my LF Favs.

 

[EweSheep]

Walt, I never had any problems with my Amer and EE picking on beards. Nor my Faverolles either.

I am guessing it is environmental, stress or poor quality feed may contribute to the factor or a learned behavior from their mothers.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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In addition to the stuff listed above (except the mother thing) the batch of EEs I have the issue with tend to be "high strung". This particular batch tend to be flighty, LOVE to run and fly. They always make a huge fuss when the coop door is opened in the morning. I had a suspicion in advance that confinement would be hard on these ones and I wasn't wrong. These guys picked not only beards and muffs but necks entirely bare - and even started working on backs and bums too. Hasn't been an issue with any of the other birds in the same coop under exactly the same conditions.

 

[Goose and Fig]

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No- because when you have a mixed flock and they are all on the same feed and pasture....I think its the beards and crests and what have you. Its not like they are cannibalizing and eating feathers like what can be caused by some deficiencies and such. It may be a common thing with non-bearded birds but you just don't notice it as they don't have any beard to be losing.