Feather picking

[sunnie7]

I had 20- 9 week olds in a grown out coop with a run. They all were doing great and in one day I found one pullet dead with lots of feathers gone and a cockerel and other pullet with some of their tail feathers gone. I felt horrible. That day I got rid of 4 so down to 15, separated the 2 injured and sprayed them with Blue Kote. They are on Purina Medicated Chick feed but I’m also now giving them some extra scrambled eggs and I’m letting them out into the big run with the older flock in the afternoons and I’ve added a 3rd feeder in the grow out pen. I’m keeping it so they can run back into their grown out run to get away but the big chickens can’t get in. Everyone seems to be getting along fine. When should I put the other 2 back in?

 

[HKG]

@CHlCKEN

 

[CHlCKEN]

That's a lot of injuries for just one day. Always Keep a close eye on your flock, and watch their behaviors for at least 10 minutes a day so you can understand how things are going in their world- is someone being bullied? Is someone not acting right? Is someone staying to herself? Just watch out for these things and keep a very close eye.

Do the birds have enough space? How many square feet is their enclosure? Also, by “grown out coop” do you mean it’s too small for them? If so, I’m kinda wanting to say that could be the main cause.
Protein deficiency may trigger feather picking too. Is the feed their on a grower or a starter? At this age it should be a growers feed. I prefer unmedicated but you do you.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have time to supervise you can try putting them back in now, and hope that because they're young they'll accept the "newcomers" without too much fuss. They're right at the age where they may or may not accept them without a slower integration.

 

[aart]

Do the birds have enough space? How many square feet is their enclosure? Also, by “grown out coop” do you mean it’s too small for them? If so, I’m kinda wanting to say that could be the main cause.

Ditto Dat.