Feather picking

[trudyg]

I've got 2 pullets, 8 months old, that have 'broken off' feathers along their necks. I thought the rooster was doing this, but tonight I went in after dark to get eggs and there was one of them with her beak nestled in on the neck of the other. Was she eating the feathers? I looked at them both for bugs but didn't see anything odd. Skin looks okay, maybe they just nuzzle together and this happens? They have free unlimited access to layer pellets all day long and every morning I put out a pan of fermented flock raiser feed. Does this behavior stop on its own, do I just monitor or do I spray some blukote on them to stop it?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you sure it isn't a partial molt? Almost sounds like pin feathers. Could you get pictures?

 

[trudyg]

I guess at 8 months it could be molting, I've seen some long feathers out in the yard. I just thought the one was breaking them off since it's just around both of them's neck. I have others the same age who look kinda ragged, so I'll cross my fingers and hope that's it. Just watch and wait.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess at 8 months it could be molting, I've seen some long feathers out in the yard. I just thought the one was breaking them off since it's just around both of them's neck. I have others the same age who look kinda ragged, so I'll cross my fingers and hope that's it. Just watch and wait.

Generally a partial molt or a neck molt as I call them just happens around the head and neck. Generally I will see a few doing it in early to late spring. Being you are somewhere warmer than me it could happen earlier than it does here.