Caged Chickens

[Tamrajh]

We just bought 13 chickens that are 18 months old and are moulting so I understand they are bound to look bad, but these girls are bald!
They came from a place where they were held in cages and produced eggs, that was their life. Their toenails are an inch long so they obviously weren't allowed to walk around, and their beaks have been cut back so they couldn't eat their own eggs.
They don't seem aggressive at all and are getting along with the rest of the flock fine. I did notice that they pull out one another's feathers though. Is that normal during moulting?
Did I just buy trouble by getting these girls?

 

[Buckguy20]

You need to get them on some extra protein. That will help them stop feather picking and also promote better feather growth. Sounds like they some TLC and lots of protein.

 

[nutmeg1980]

I'm no expert, but I do know that you've done a really good deed by adopting those girls. Sounds like they had a pretty rough life!

I do know that feather picking can be a sign of protein deficiency. I started feeding my girls black oil sunflower seeds when they started picking feathers, and that seemed to help.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

feather pulling and picking is common in birds kept in overcrowded or tight confinement. Hopefully the hens will stop doing that now that they are in your flock. You can buy something called "pinless peepers" which you put on them to stop them from pecking each other. It might help to untrain them from the picking habits they have learned/gotten into from being confined. Personally, if they are pulling each other's feathers, I would get some and have them wear them until that behavior stops. The toenails will have to be trimmed. I use a guillutine type dog toenail clipper, I snip a small amount at a time, and I compare the feet I ma working on to another chicken wilthout overgrown toenails, but which has the same size feet. Make sure you have blood stop powder or flour/cornstarch to stop any bleeding if you cut a nail too quick. After the hens moult, their feathers will look as good as new. By the way, you should have quarentined new chickens away from your flock for 30 days minimum. If they are in with your birds, it's too late now. But next time, quarentine.

 

[Tamrajh]

What would you recommend we feed them? We have them on a layer pellet that is 20% protein so it's already better than normal.
Should I add something else? Hubby doesn't want to feed them eggs since that's the little bit of profit we have.

 

[underground chickenman]

They probably developed a habit of feather picking from being caged and bored and it just may be coincidental that they are doing this while molting. If it is a habit, the picking may not go away once molting is over. On the other hand, feather picking can be caused by a nutritional deficiency, such as a lack of protein. If the deficiency is cured, so might be the picking. The increased need for protein for new feather growth after molting may be causing the picking. In any event, you should up the protein content to assist your new birds with new feather growth. I would recommend at least 18%, which you can get in a starter ration. You might even consider a 20% game bird feed for a couple of months to help with feather growth and possibly the feather picking. Time will tell on the latter. Once they start laying again, if you still need the higher protein of the starter ration, you will need to add some calcium to their diet, since the starter does not contain enough for laying hens. I suggest free-choice oyster shell.

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

UGCM

 

[fancbrd4me02]

The layer ration should be fine, if you don't free range you can provide some vegetables. Having vegetables or the opprtunity to free range might also reduce picking, as they will have something to occupy them.

 

[Buckguy20]

You can use cheap dog or cat food. It is usually about 30% protein or more. The smaller the pellet the better.
That is cheaper than gamebird feed which is 28% protein.

 

[underground chickenman]

Quote:
If you just got them, they may not have been on the higher protein feed long enough. Give it some time and see what happens. Also, give them as much room as you can. Perhaps with room to roam, they will find more interesting things to do than pick at each other like they did when they were crammed together.

UGCM

 

[Tamrajh]

Why do you quarantine new girls before adding them to the flock?