Can anyone tell me what's causing this

[starri33]

Can someone tell me what's causing this? I've been seeing the chickens pecking each other.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If you have a rooster, it looks like over mating.

But, how many chickens in how much space? Their age? What is fed regularly including treats and supplements? Also, ever check for or need to treat for lice or mites yet?

 

[starri33]

If you have a rooster, it looks like over mating.

But, how many chickens in how much space? Their age? What is fed regularly including treats and supplements? Also, ever check for or need to treat for lice or mites yet?

No Roo, but I'll have to ask the other questions, their not mine.. Thank you.. I do know they are getting layer pellets, some scratch and meal worms, if they are getting any supplements, I do not know, as for the lice and mite treatments I'm not sure, the coop and run were both just cleaned yesterday and they are allowed to free range on 5.2 acre's.

 

[chickens really]

Lack in protein...What do they eat? Also too crowded can cause pecking.

 

[starri33]

Lack in protein...What do they eat? Also too crowded can cause pecking.

Not sure what the size of their coop is, will have to ask, but they have a run and do free range. Layer Pellets, scratch and meal worms,

 

[chickens really]

Not sure what the size of their coop is, will have to ask, but they have a run and do free range. Layer Pellets, scratch and meal worms,

Layer pellets generally are only 16% protein and not enough protein. What breed are those Hens?

 

[rebrascora]

There looks to be a lot of scratch on the ground in that photo, so it may be a protein deficiency that is causing them to pluck and eat each other's feathers. Scratch dilutes the protein content of layer pellets and the hens will eat it in preference, so the more scratch they are given the less pellets they will eat. Layer pellets are usually 16% protein which is the bare minimum they need and should be considered a complete feed. Once they are fed other less protein rich foods like scratch, they become protein deficient. They may also become obese with the increased levels of carbohydrates in the scratch and possibly develop laying issues like egg binding or prolapse or even more serious ailments still like Fatty Live Haemorrhagic Syndrome so reducing or stopping the scratch would be the first step to tackle the problem. Unfortunately feather picking becomes a habit once it has started so pinless peepers may be necessary to break the habit although even then it can be hard to break, especially if they have been doing it for a while.
Often it starts with being confined to a small area and they get bored and fractious and start to pick each other. It may be that these birds developed the habit before they were allowed to free range of whilst they were confined during severe weather and have continued to pick each other afterwards through habit or feathers have not regrown and it will be next moulting season before they are replaced.

 

[Chickassan]

That looks like parasitic damage to me, the feathers that are present are in bad shape.
Likely mites, depluming mites are my guess.
That could also be the cause for the pecking as well.
Not saying their diet couldn't use improvement, it can especially if they're infested but the feather loss concentrated on that one area on all the hens suggests this is a two part problem.

 

[Skipper81]

To me it looks like that’s all table scraps on the ground I don’t see any layer pellets or any scratch which would indicate a lack of protein for sure

 

[starri33]

Thank you everyone, what would you recommend for mite treatment?