Chickens eating each other's feathers!

[sychoi]

I have about a dozen white Silkies. Recently, my chickens have been picking off and eating their siblings' feathers. They are all super sweet and have good temperament (like most Silkies), so it's not like they were fighting. They just seem to really want to eat feathers. Is their behavior due to missing some kind of nutrient in their diet?

 

[AkTomboy]

It might be that they are to close to each other. How big of an area are they in?

 

[sychoi]

We have a pretty large backyard, and we don't fence them in so they would have more room to move around. If they wanted to, all twelve can be in completely different areas, away from each other, if they wanted to. Like I said, they don't ever fight, unlike other breeds of chicken I've had (but after a year or so, those also displayed similar feather-eating behavior).

 

[firedove]

Eating feathers can be a sign of a diet deficiency. Unfortunately I can't remember what just now but you could probably google it. I had a link that would tell you but it's now gone

 

[hildymarie]

protein

 

[jafo]

Feed them dry catfood, they are lacking protien. Make sure your feed has enough in it,(protien) can't remember the percentage though. Protien.

 

[sychoi]

Thank you for the advice!