Feather eating ?? hmmmm, weirdo !!!!!

[swtangel321]

Today I was watching our hens, one of them found a feather that came off the rooster..... it was a good sized one, so she walked over to it and ate it, took her a min to get it all down but she did.... Is that normal ??? anyone else have a hen that does that ?? I think I have some of the weirdest chickens !!!!

 

[silverwing0904]

My hens eat their feathers all the time they go up to a random feather on the ground and .... MUNCH MUNCH munch it's really weird isn't it mabye extra protein or something?!

 

[swtangel321]

Well I feel a little better I don't have all the weird chickens

She is a new hen to me so I have NEVER seen any of my others do it, maybe little little ones that who even knew they were a feather.... as i was watching I was like "wow that looks yummy"

This week ive seen feather eating, my hen mounting my other hen (guess my rooster sucks at it, and they are trying to tell him something) and another one of my hens is growing spurs !!!
I think thats it !!!

Like you said maybe they think it's good for them !!!

 

[ella]

It's called recycling. Your hens are going green.

 

[ella]

Seriously all my hens do that it's normal.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Wish my chickens woudl eat the feathers - would make my yard less messy!

 

[mtnhomechick]

I'm glad you posted this. My girls were doing that too and I though OMG .........will they be ok? Chickens are weird and adorable. I luv em'.

 

[ashyannehand]

I have never seen a hen eat a feather. Maybe mine are closet feather eaters!

To each his own, I guess!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Your chickens are lacking Methione. Methione- An amino acid (containing sulfur) required for feather growth. It's found in black oil sunflower seeds which also contain 30% protein.

There have been many post on this in the past and feeding the BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) does really help. Upping their protein can help too. Eating may lead to impacted crop.

 

[12 Acres]

Feathers are made of keratin, just like your hair and fingernails. A Poultry Science Association study determined that feathers act as an insoluble dietary fiber and aid in the passing of food.

http://ps.fass.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/21