Feather-Eating Goslings

[Rare Feathers Farm]

My three Sebastopol goslings have started to eat the feathers off of my chickens. I have them in with my hens only because the roosters were beating the tar out of them and one roo was trying breed/rape all three goslings. This just started last Friday and one of my hens I separated because she seemed to be their "favorite" and they've stripped her back bald. The hens will just lay down & squat, while the goslings pluck feathers from their backs, chew on them & swallow them. What causes this? I'm planning to make them their own pen within the next day or two--but until then, they have to be housed together.

The goslings are on Flock Raiser, fresh grass (for a few hours per day). The hens have a feeder that has Layena & scratch in it and the goslings' bills have gotten too big to reach in & get the chicken food.

The goslings were hatched in Feb or March.

 

[dlhunicorn]

This is probably due to deficiencies (keeping in mind that many hings are interdependent on each) most often the aminoacid METHIONINE > there are supplements (for molting birds usually) which have this specific aminoacid in it but sunflower seeds and cooked eggyolk are some additions which may help... yogurt freechoice may also be beneficial (especially a live culture yogurt)...
check the protein amount of your feed (dont give too much scratch) and ensure there is more than one feeding station will also be helpful. A good general supplement would also be helpful.

 

[DuckLady]

Goslings will pick at each other when they are bored and out of curiosity as well.
Goslings (and geese) need plenty of fresh grass and at 3 months, they are ready to be grazing the grass. Geese get most of their nutrients from vegetation and they may just need room to stretch their wings and get some fresh food from your lawn.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I think its from boredom too.
They need to be grazing on grass for more than 3 hours a day. They should be out there all day.
If that isn't possible give them some leafy alfalfa or clover hay to pick on in their pen/coop.