Eating their own feathers?

[skatcatla]

I notice my chickens will often slurp up the feathers of the other chickens as they come across them lying around the lawn or my deck. Is this normal?

 

[texaschickmama]

Mine, too. They like fight over them. Mine are on starter pellets and 15 wks old.

 

[rooster-red]

Might be that they need more protien in their feed.
Might consider tossing them a little dry cat food as a treat a couple of days a week.

 

[speckledhen]

My Ameraucanas in particular do this. In some cases, it's a protein deficiency, but not always. I think to an extent, it's a normal thing and there may be a nutrient in the feathers besides protein that they are supplying. Mine have a high protein breeder/layer pellet of 22% so a deficiency is not the problem in this case.

 

[skatcatla]

Hmm..well they are mostly eating Quickgrow feed as well as whatever they find around the yard. I'll see if I can find some other protein sources though. Do you think they'd like tofu?

 

[homecatmom]

Mine do it too! Not only do they eat them, but they eat them fast! I threw some kibble cat food out for them today just to make sure, but my birds eat all kinds of protein, so I don't know...
Cathy

 

[redwa]

I started giving mine cat food to increase their protein in take and two developed crop problems. I contacted a local chicken specialist and she said to NOT give them cat food. She said it can mess with their digestive track thus causing a variey of problems, including crop problems. I now give them meal worms, black oil sunflower seeds (both in moderation) and a high protein layer pellet. I don't see them eating feathers.

 

[speckledhen]

I still think it's to a degree a natural thing because between the 22% layer/breeder pellets, black oil sunflower seeds(even their scratch, almost corn-free, is 13% protein) I know they do not have a protein deficit.
Cat food is higher in salt than chickens need so it should be a rare thing to toss them any, if at all, I think.

 

[SandraChick]

feather eating can be a sign of low protein....but it can also be a symptom of a lack of another nutrient (whose name has completely escaped my mind---starts with an M).

Whole sunflower seeds with the hull have this nutrient.....

I rescue chickens...and they almost always show up here eating every feather in sight....once here for a week or so they quit completely. I add extra protein to their diet and make sure they have access to sunflower seeds. I call it the one-two feather eating punch!

Good luck

Sandra

PS- My chickens free range so they get everything free choice....they eat all the sunflower seeds that fall out of the bird feeder and also get scattered our for our wild pigeons.

 

[Wynette]

I posted the same question about a month ago, and am glad to hear other folks' chickens do the same thing mine do! I was also told to throw out some dry cat food in case they need more protein, but they completely ignored the cat food. So, I think it must just be a chicken thing!