Chick pulling out its own tail feathers?

[erinchelsea]

This afternoon when I checked on my 2-week old chicks (brown-egg laying assortment from the Hatchery) I noticed one of the chicks peeping like it was in distress. It was frantically pulling at it's own tail feathers and peeping. I picked her up and looked and it didn't look like anything was wrong with her vent, just most of the fuzz and feathers were missing. I put some bag balm on there since that's all I had. The other chicks don't seem to be bothering her and none of them have been picking. They are under a red light in a good-size brooder in our basement, plenty of clean food & water and seem to be comfortable. I did isolate her but not sure if it will get better since she's doing it to herself!!! What else can I do and what may be causing her to do this?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know but something must be bothering her, has she ever had pasty butt? does her poop look normal.. did you check her over for mites?

 

[erinchelsea]

She's never had pasty butt...I didn't see any mites...and poop in the isolation box looks okay. She seems a little quieter now that I've isolated her, hopefully that is a good thing.

 

[Miss Lydia]

yeah you just might want to put her back in when you can just sit a observe to see if some of the others might have started this..

 

[Mahonri]

I have a year old hen that still does the same thing... I give them more protein and it doesn't make any difference... it's a nervous tick she's had since hatching... she lays large, dark eggs (marans) and now she's started picking the roos butt feathers and some from his neck. He looks like a refugee.

 

[Miss Lydia]

maybe it's like when dogs lick them selves until they have a raw place. never thought of a chicken doing that.

 

[erinchelsea]

She seems to be sleeping peacefully. I'm sure I'll check on her a bunch of times tonight- not sure how I will sleep!

 

[secuono]

I sprinkle DE on my chicks backs and all over the brooder, within a day they settle. If it's a little later on when the feathers start to come in, that may be bothering them, too. If she is still a fluff ball, try the DE.