Feather picking and eating

[Patoot]

I have 4 RIR who are almost a year old. I've had them since last August. I started noticing some feather picking off their backs a few months ago. I ordered capes for them and that helped. However, now their wings are being pecked instead. Some down to the skin. There isn't one culprit. I've seen them do it to each other and it doesn't seem to be aggressive. I've seen one hunkered down in the dirt enjoying a dirt bath and then another comes over and starts pulling her feathers out...HARD. Like it would pull her whole body, but she doesn't get up and leave. She just gets picked. Then the picker eats the feather when she pulls it off. Sigh. Tonight I collected eggs late and went out with a flashlight and saw a couple butts...now the butts are picked too! I've already checked for bugs a million times with my husband helping too. We've checked with flashlights and really examined them and we can't find anything to suggest they are picking bugs/mites/lice off each other. All 4 girls are laying everyday almost without exception. They are eating, drinking, and have normal poops. I haven't changed their food. They get layer pellets. They also get BOSS, yogurt, spinach, tomatoes, berries, and such as treats, but really they only get a handful of BOSS daily (for all 4 total) and spinach most days. The other stuff is a rarer treat. I got one very soft-shelled egg last week for the first time, but none since. Could there be a nutritional deficiency causing the feather picking? It does not seem to be an aggressive thing. The other factor is that they recently have been penned to a smaller area. I am allowing the grass to grow back a little for them and they are temporarily penned off. Their area is still large, but I know they like the whole yard better. The picking of backs and wings started WAY WAY before they were penned, but I just noticed the butt picking tonight.

Is there anything I can do? It's not just one girl, it's all of them, but some have it worse. There are no sores on the bums, just baldness and a little redness maybe. No blood or cuts. Vent looks clean. Help! I don't want bald chickens. The fact they eat the feathers makes me think they are lacking something in there diet. Since they aren't grass-feeding (because they ate it all and I'm letting it grow back a bit) could that be it? Sigh.

Thanks in advance.

Bree

 

[justbugged]

How big of coop are the hens in?

 

[Patoot]

Ooh, I just went hunting for more info on here and I think it's a protein deficiency. The girls are probably getting ready to go into their first molt which I just read means they need more protein AND I saw that feather eating in general can be low protein. Maybe I should see if there is a higher protein layer pellet. I'm going to scramble or boil some eggs and give them that along with the yogurt. That should help...I hope.

If you think it's something else, let me know so I can try that too. I hope they haven't developed a habit.

Bree

 

[justbugged]

The scrambled eggs is a great source of protein. The reason I ask about the size of coop space is because if the hens are crowded they will start picking on each other. It's kind of like what happens when there are to many people in a room that is to small.

 

[CCourson05]

I had this problem when feeding 2/3 16% layer feed and 1/3 corn. I upped the feed to 22% amd stopped giving corn daily. No more problems.

 

[lady feathers]

Not sure if you give your chickens meat or not but you can also give them treats like that for added protein and I've read that cat food can give them a boost too in protein levels just toss out some dried kitty chow as treats and see if that helps until your higher protein feed has time to take effect, good luck!

 

[Mogli]

i have that same problem from time to time too with my golden comets when 1 hen is in the dust bath tub another 1 will be mad and come start pulling feathers outa her tail feathers or outa her back when the 1 hens peckn at the other hen she shakes the hen back in forth roughfly and makes a loud hard thump sound whens shes riping feathers out i always breakem up when i seem beating the crap outa eachother geez. the dumb thing is the 1 hen thats geting feathers pulled outa it will just sit or lay there and get the crap pecked outa it

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I didn't have a picking problem but they went through a molt this winter and wanted to up the protien cause they all stopped laying but the leghorn. I couldn't find a layer pellet with more that 16% locally. I ended up gettin Nutrena Nature Wise 18% All Flock. They have been on it for 2 mo. and doing great. The nice part is I don't have to get a seperate feed for the chicks cause you can give it to chicks 7 wks and older.

 

[BethieofVA]

Okay, here are my thoughts. I have the same problem with three particular culprits, two which are RIR supposedly a horrible breed for pecking. I read all about mites, protein issues, crowding, etc....but it is just plain meaness and bullying. Get pinless peepers, worth every cent. I had one hen bloodied before and she is healing nicely. NO more picking, pecking, bullying and so on.

 

[Wisher1000]

I have chicks ranging from 6 to 8 weeks. They don't peck or pull feathers off of each other, but if there is a feather on the ground it will be gobbled up. I may try upping the protein and see if it stops. Any other suggestions?