Chicken feather plucking.

[backyard barns]

My chickens have been continiously plucking at each others tail feather area.
They are picking on one imperticular, my rhode island red ( i have 6 leghorns and 5 rhode island reds ).
I have read that it can be from bordum,stress, lack of protien, or lack of space.
They have enough room. So it is probably one of the others.
If anyone has info on how to solve any of these problems it would be great.

Thank you,
Backyard barns

 

[redstars]

I was having the same problem. I don't know what worked but here is the changes I made
and the feather picking seems to be way down.(knock on wood}
#1 get some blue cote and spray the areas that are bleeding or just missing feathers They don't seem to like the taste.
#2 I got two 25lb of flock block and put one in the run and one in the coop.
#3 I have been adding other treats like cabbage to keep their little bird brains busy and their minds off of picking each other.
#4 I added oyster shell. I had been giving calcium flakes and switched to the oyster shell cause they ran out of CF. I don't think the switch did the trick but I will
say they never really ate much of the CF and when I put the oyster shell in they went nuts.
Good luck I know it's frustrating. Oh ya.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

and

from Alaska

feather pecking, picking, plucking can be a vitamin deficiency
get some vitamin, mineral, Probiotic & electrolytes to mix in their drinking water 2-3 times a week.

 

[Choochoo]

Thanks for this info! I have three chickens plucking for the first time and it is driving me crazy to see the bare spots. One (or many) plucked all her tail feathers out and now she keeps trying to put oak leaves there to replace them! They have plenty of room and roam free everyday but the diet thing I will have to try next. I will google blue kote. Thanks again! Wish me luck. I was also told flax seed.