Feather eating..

[Arlokitty]

The girls are plucking each others' feathers out and eating them. Also eating any feathers which end up on the floor of the coop. Super-stressed at the end of a very tough winter? Not getting enough of certain minerals? Normal? I'm concerned...

 

[RioLindoAz]

They may be worn from winter and are lacking nutrients and protein.
Try getting them on some gamebird crumble that's around 23% protein. Another option is to purchase a bird block from your feed store for wild birds. Make sure the protein is at 30% or so. They'll peck at it, no need to crush it, and it can be fed with standard 16% protein layer food. In addition, hard boiled yolks will assist in heightening they're protein.

Good luck. I've had the same problem, and I can relate to how you feel.

 

[gingerpeach22]

Aren't the yolks mostly fat? I thought the whites of the hard boiled eggs were the protein parts. I scramble around six of them and feed them with some plain yogurt mixed in, divide into three dishes, and they scarf it down. I also increase protein by giving them minced up, cooked moose meat, or save some cooked salmon for them. They get extra protein a couple of times a week, but only after they've had many hours to eat their regular layer 16% protein pellets.
FEATHER PULLING: I still have feather pulling, but have some Rooster Booster Pick No More lotion. With that, I smear it on the head or neck or missing feather area because other birds avoid that bird like the plague. It is brown (stains hands) and makes bare skin less obvious to the other birds but if they do, they really dislike the taste/smell/feel of it. The downside is that for a few birds, I have to re-apply it daily. Still, it gives them some relief from being pecked when they walk by a pecking girl and they get fewer pecks on the head/neck when trying to get into a nest already occupied by another hen. (There are 9 hens in a 7 x 9 foot coop, and cold weather often keeps them in for weeks at a time). I gave away my two worst feather pullers - they were different from these hens in that they pulled for a hobby - march around to resting hen, jerk one feather and repeat with other hens; repeat daily until human gets fed up.

 

[Arlokitty]

THanks for the feedback. I'll try getting them more protein while I look for the Rooster Booster stuff.