Eating feathers

[debgoody]

I noticed one of my chickens eating a few feathers- was reading that they may do this due to lack of protein..? Our feed has 16% protein but is not Purina it’s a different brand- Any thoughts?

 

[centrarchid]

They will consume feathers even when dietary protein levels are not too low. Show a picture of birds. Where it can be a problem is when the birds are eating feathers off each other.

 

[Folly's place]

x2. Birds do eat feathers off the ground, and it's normal. I do like to feed an all-flock feed that's higher in protein though.
Mary

 

[yellowherb]

If you watch them they are most likely looking at the bloody, meaty end of the feather. If its a old feather that naturally molted they are less likely to eat it. A fresh, plucked feather is what they want, one that still had a blood supply.

Just from my experience, they are less likely to eat feathers if you feed a higher protein food. I had a chicken who would eat feathers like crazy, always hunting for them or pulling them from others. A week after using higher protein game bird starter he quit. But if I went back to lower protein food he would start up again.

If you do not want to change feed you can supplement protein with mealworms, scrambled eggs or any other high protein snack that your chickens like.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I believe that feather consumption due to low protein is MOSTLY a misnomer... I did some research, and while yes feathers are made of 90% protein and it's amino acids. The fact is that they are mostly keratin with a low digestibility equaling ONLY 2% digestible protein.

he quit. But if I went back to lower protein food he would start up again.

That's interesting... because males actually have a lower requirement for protein than laying hens. (not saying your experience wasn't real, just having conversation)

Meal worms and eggs are a good treat or occasional supplement... but VERY high in fat.

 

[yellowherb]

I don't think they eat feathers for the feather itself. If you happen to see a plucked feather it has a gooey bloody bit at the end of the shaft. I think that's what the chickens are after. They just have to eat the entire feather to get to it. I watched a mama hen check a feather she lost from her wing yesterday, she was looking at the shaft end and even picked it up for a taste test. It was a naturally lost feather so she dropped it.

My feather eater was a young male, just reaching maturity. He did not pluck the others bald (I did have a bald chicken once brought to me), but he would pull the occasional feather and run off with it like he had just found a awesome bug. As he matured he started calling hens to feathers. They were disappointed to find he was trying to give them feathers.

It seems that all treats my chickens like is high fat. They love scrambled eggs and of course mealworms but they also love sunflower kernels.