breast feathers look really wore and broken! how can i help new growth!

[fieldyollie]

hey im new here and too managing a flock!

I brought a coop and 4 lovely friendly ladies which are around 6 months old, on the weekend! they are very happy and settled and have been laying!

now we have all gotten to know each other, they have happily let me pick them up and check them, one has sadly got a lot of snapped fathers at the front of her chest, is this due to her rubbing against the run or could this be due to the other hens, they are now free roaming and have a lovely big back garden so not in the coop/run as much as I believe there were!

Is there anything I can do, to help new growth or will there stay like this?

many thanks

 

[eggsontoast]

I have a Silkie who had some of her feathers plucked/picked out by another mean chicken (who I gave away!). I've been adding a little poultry vitamin powder to their water, plus they get treats of yogurt, a little leftover meat and/or egg and vegetable scraps in addition to their crumbles. Her feathers are growing back surprisingly fast! I think that the best thing you can do is to make sure they're getting adequate nutrition.

 

[fieldyollie]

I have a Silkie who had some of her feathers plucked/picked out by another mean chicken (who I gave away!). I've been adding a little poultry vitamin powder to their water, plus they get treats of yogurt, a little leftover meat and/or egg and vegetable scraps in addition to their crumbles. Her feathers are growing back surprisingly fast! I think that the best thing you can do is to make sure they're getting adequate nutrition.

thanks, for the advice they are getting loads of scraps and are on layers pellets, but might give the vitamin powder and yoghurt ago, I think its where she has rubbed, rather then plucked! all the chickens are luckily very loving to each and don't stray far from each other in the garden