Eating Feathers

[12cheeky]

Have you ever heard of the rooster eating feathers?

 

[sourland]

In my experience it has been more a 'hen' thing, but roosters can feather pluck/eat. Generally it is caused by boredom/over crowding. Protein deficiency can be another causative factor.

 

[Xouie]

Having the same situation. My birds get turkey/quail chow (20+% protein), plus scratch and a wide variety of stuff they free range from the yard and garden. With all that, feathers and spider webs are still the two big delicacies around here. No idea how to stop it.

 

[Folly's place]

If their diet is good (how much scratch?) and there's plenty to do, some feather eating is normal. Efficient use of resources, I guess.
BUT, feather pecking off other birds is not fine, and if it's not diet or crowding, then some birds just have this nasty behavior. Here it was production reds or hatchery RIRs, and we haven't had any of those for a long time because of that behavior.
If it's one or two birds, the pinless peepers may solve their obnoxious habit.
Mary

 

[SaraMarie]

So glad to here this! I watched one of my Opringtons eat a Barred Rock feather yesterday and I wasn't sure if I should be worried about this behavior or not.