Feather eating

[juliawitt]

Some of my chickens are losing their feathers and when the chickens find a feather they are eating some of them. Is this because they are low on a nutrient or should I even be concerned? They are finding them and running with them like they do when they find a bug......I wonder if they even realize what it is they are running with.So...is this a problem or just playing around?

 

[Mahonri]

try giving them some more protein...

when I see that I open up a couple of cans of tuna or salmon.

They love it and it adds omega III to your eggs.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Hi Julia,
How old are your chickens? I am seeing my 8 wk old pullets doing the same.
It seems strange the feathers would be coming out, since they have been working so hard and replacing their fluff.

 

[usschicago1]

I agreee get some more protein in there

 

[juliawitt]

Sunday is when they get treats so I started this morning with yougart, and apple chunks then gave them a can of tuna cat food. They had never had meat before so I didn't know how this would go....but, they loved it!! I will try to give more protein in this form every other day or so. They little girls had out grown their baby crumbles but would not stay out of the layer crumbles. We had to go to all purpose flock food with free choice oyster shell for the big girls. I was afraid the little girls would get too much calcium if they kept eating the layer crumbles. Maybe this is why they were eating any feathers that were on the ground. They were not pulling feathers out so I am hoping this is an easy fix. The tuna cat food certainly was cheap enough.