Feather Eating - Problem or no problem?

[Flock Master64]

 

[rjohns39]

I'm sure you can find many who support that practice.......and if you look, you can also find just as many who do otherwise.
What you feed is up to you.

I'm a newbee as well, my situation is a bit different in that I have young pullets and cockerel in with mature birds and then young poults in a tractor eating high protein feed. I feed the pullets and cockerel chick starter and stand guard for about 15 minutes after they get their feed, then I toss a scoop of chick starter and one of turkey starter out along with meal worms for everyone. I put layer feed inside and outside the coop and make sure grit and oyster shell is always available to the layers. Two or three (don't really know) of my ladies are slow starters and I don't think have started laying. Still have pink combs--but then again I'm not certain how old they are... They may be younger than the layers by a couple three weeks. Just my two cents.

 

[junebuggena]

Not big enough. Come cooping up time, there is just no room in that coop for all those birds to move around comfortably. And it looks like it is lacking in the ventilation department.

 

[aart]

Coop is 5x3 with 6 birds?
Yeah, crowded for sure ....and I see no windows for light and very little ventilation.
Will get worse come Michigan winter.
Pics of inside please?

 

[Flock Master64]

They can come out of the coop when ever they want I don't keep them locked inside

 

[Braxton Brigade]

Coop is 5x3 with 6 birds?
Yeah, crowded for sure ....and I see no windows for light and very little ventilation.
Will get worse come Michigan winter.
Pics of inside please?

I would disagree about it needing windows for lighting.

Flock's mentioned that it is 2 story which would double the sq. footage

If they are only sleeping in the coop you can "flirt" with the bare minimum, my chickens go outside in all seasons and weather, nothing keeps them from coming out in the mornings.

In a case like mine it is more acceptable, however I do believe my coop is slightly above the min. sq. ft. recommendation anyways.


Flock Master, I would suggest adding some form of vents at the top of the coop and roofing the pen to provide a run that they can go in during all types of weather, this would greatly help in preventing the birds from having to stand in the coop during bad weather.

 

[Flock Master64]

I would disagree about it needing windows for lighting.

Flock's mentioned that it is 2 story which would double the sq. footage

If they are only sleeping in the coop you can "flirt" with the bare minimum, my chickens go outside in all seasons and weather, nothing keeps them from coming out in the mornings.

In a case like mine it is more acceptable, however I do believe my coop is slightly above the min. sq. ft. recommendation anyways.


Flock Master, I would suggest adding some form of vents at the top of the coop and roofing the pen to provide a run that they can go in during all types of weather, this would greatly help in preventing the birds from having to stand in the coop during bad weather.

During winter I have tarps all around the run and shovel all the snow out when it gets in and the rain doesn't really bother them. All they do in the coop is sleep and lay eggs

 

[aart]

They can come out of the coop when ever they want I don't keep them locked inside

You don't lock up them in the coop at night for safety against predators?
That chicken wire is not predator proof.....and I see you have a trap set next to the coop.

Quote: Lighting can help a great deal in this climate during winter.....
......I believe Flock Master64 is in Michigan(correct me if I am wrong) tho they've changed their profile so it doesn't say that anymore.
Birds can be inside coop for days on end due to harsh weather...... frigid temps, fierce winds and heavy snows.

I asked to see inside pics to see what this second floor actually is.
'Flirting' with tight space can work, sometimes....but in this thread FM64 said they are having feather picking issues.....so maybe not in this case.

 

[junebuggena]

The birds clearly are not comfortable being squeezed into that coop each night. And it's the only shelter they've got. You can get by with a coop that's a bit too small in the summer. But with only 2.5 sq ft per bird, it's not a little too small. It's WAY too small. That bottom level has no ventilation, and that top level has barely any. No wonder they are picking each other. Build a bigger coop within the week or rehome half the flock, ASAP. If you let it continue, it will become a habit that is nearly impossible to break.

 

[Flock Master64]

Ok