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This might seem strange, but how do you know they are eating feathers?
Most of the chickens have missing tailfeathers and I can see plenty of other places where there should be feathers but there is only a little stub left over ( I pick them up a couple times per week to check and get them used to being handled). Strange? No other animals can get into the coop so my conclusion is it must be one of them! I also don't see broken off feathers on the floor. That's why I assumed they were eaten. I am definitely new to chicken problems
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I know they are young and really just getting feathers so maybe what I see are growing feathers and not missing feathers? But one of them has a little bald spot on the back. ??? The few roos in there are also only 4-5 weeks old. They don't even know yet they are roos. Oh dear, I am confused.
When mine are about the same age my husband will bring a box in and say these look sick or have been beat up and he has pointed out the lack of fluff/feathers and its never been missing feathers, its them growing real feathers and the downy type feathers thinning out. I have a few doing this night now actually. Usually when I've had heavy feather picking, there is blood, marks on the chicken and lost feathers in the coop. Id keep a watch on the them. I would think if its true picking it will get worse. If its that funky "teenager" stage, it will get better.
This might seem strange, but how do you know they are eating feathers?
Most of the chickens have missing tailfeathers and I can see plenty of other places where there should be feathers but there is only a little stub left over ( I pick them up a couple times per week to check and get them used to being handled). Strange? No other animals can get into the coop so my conclusion is it must be one of them! I also don't see broken off feathers on the floor. That's why I assumed they were eaten. I am definitely new to chicken problems
I know they are young and really just getting feathers so maybe what I see are growing feathers and not missing feathers? But one of them has a little bald spot on the back. ??? The few roos in there are also only 4-5 weeks old. They don't even know yet they are roos. Oh dear, I am confused.
When mine are about the same age my husband will bring a box in and say these look sick or have been beat up and he has pointed out the lack of fluff/feathers and its never been missing feathers, its them growing real feathers and the downy type feathers thinning out. I have a few doing this night now actually. Usually when I've had heavy feather picking, there is blood, marks on the chicken and lost feathers in the coop. Id keep a watch on the them. I would think if its true picking it will get worse. If its that funky "teenager" stage, it will get better.
