Chicken Pulling Feathers

[Patch6713]

I got home from work this morning and noticed one chicken had pulled all of its feathers out her vent to between her legs. I checked her and didn't see any fleas or anything. I gave her some calcium supplement and gave her a warm bath for about 10 minutes. She now is pulling her breast feathers out as she walks around. She has gone to the nesting box 3 times in the last hour I have been watching her but quickly walks back out.
Any thoughts?

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Hello! That is a sign of depression or boredom. Are any of your other chickens doing this?

 

[palolo]

I've got a RIR doing the same thing mostly on her breast. We've recently lost a couple of chickens so it could be depression, now there's only two of them She's also recovering from a moderate infection/inflammation.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Mine have been doing that because they are broody. Broody hens pull out their feathers in that area so that they can put their bare skin against the eggs to keep them warmer. One of mine did that last month and sat on golf balls.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Is your area for your chickens big enough for them to run around? And is there an area where they can scratch in the dirt? Chickens do get bored and need things for them to do.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any thoughts?

What is her age? Can you post pics? How much space for how many birds? Recent weather pattern? What is fed on a regular basis including treats and supplements?

Most often associated with broody behavior... but SOME mites are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye or may only come out to feed and not live on the bird.

Adding your general location to your profile can help peeps make the best suggestion possible at a glance.

 

[Patch6713]

Mine have been doing that because they are broody. Broody hens pull out their feathers in that area so that they can put their bare skin against the eggs to keep them warmer. One of mine did that last month and sat on golf balls.

I don't believe she is broody. She spends all day out in the run. I have one that is broody that pulled her breast feathers out, but this is different.

 

[Patch6713]

What is her age? Can you post pics? How much space for how many birds? Recent weather pattern? What is fed on a regular basis including treats and supplements?

Most often associated with broody behavior... but SOME mites are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye or may only come out to feed and not live on the bird.

Adding your general location to your profile can help peeps make the best suggestion possible at a glance.

She is just a year old. The six of them have a 12 by 30 run they have full access of and they also get time now and then to free-range the yard. Always have food in the coop and in the run with snacks added regularly. Fresh water every day.
We are in New York. No extreme weather patters recently.
I'm going to clean the coop today if there are mites with hopes of removing most of them.

As far as boredom, any suggestions?

 

[fowlgebra]

I had a Partridge Cochin a few years ago that used to do that because she was bored. At that point I wasn't allowing my chickens to free-range yet and had 16 in a 2500sf area which they had decimated all the grass and greens from. I didn't realize at that point that they were bored and started letting them free range more to graze which helped. But when I wasn't able to, such as when adding new babies into the mix, I provided them with fun distractions. I built them but I called a gazebo out large branches for them to climb on and changed its layout at least once a week. There were places to roost on, nooks and crannies to hide in where I would put treats, Etc. I added to chicken swings, which they loathed, would take a zucchini or cucumber, shove a stick through it and hang it from a string by a tree so they could play vegetable tetherball and have fun with a tasty treat, I took a plastic peanut butter jar and drilled holes in it and filled it with scratch so they can chase it around the run, etc. She stopped pecking/plucking her own feathers almost immediately. Aboard chicken can do some crazy things. It's just a few ideas but there are tons of good ones on this site.

I now let them free range full-time and I haven't had a single problem with pecking or fighting or anything. Not even the slightest bit of bickering which they used to do quite often. That would be my suggestion. Even if something else is going on, such as mites, it's always good to keep your chickens entertained when enclosed.

 

[palolo]

Ours are and were happiest free range, they did not have any interest in seeing hanging veggies etc. We got them as adults so I don't think they had anything to keep them occupied.