Feather eating

[SilverWingEggs721]

My flock seems to be munching on my cockerels feathers even with high protein diet of grower feed and occasional meal worms and various plants and vegetables they get they are still terrorizing his tail feathers and most of his neck feathers are out.

 

[SilverWingEggs721]

Is it possible for a rooster to be the lowest in the pecking order. It’s only him and one other cuckoo Maran pullet that get picked at. The other Marans who came in at the same time as the one being picked are left alone. No other of my 20 hens are being picked at.

 

[Left Spur]

Rooster have that feather bud all over their skin usually more on the neck and your hens thinks it is yummy, you have nowhere to go, even i havent find any solution to it, i simply put him to another cage, thats all, actually theres one, it is what they do to the commercial chicken, i wouldnt use it tho, it is called de-beaking.

 

[SilverWingEggs721]

I figured it out. After some detective work which didn’t take long I observed that he is being driven off the feeders every time he goes for food. In hindsight his crop never feels very full at night so I’m betting his issue is a mix of pecking order and lack of nutrition due to being driven from the feed. I have two feeders in the coop and two out in the run with on being down the tunnel to my other coop to provide a secluded dinning area. It seems wherever he tries to eat he has the whole flock running to that feeder and driving him off.