feather picking

[bebbin150]

how do i stop my hens from picking feathers off the other hens an them selfs they all seem to do this any ideas are they missing something in their diet they get scratch along with laying crumbles

 

[3goodeggs]

Go over to index and ask your question there. You will see different catagories and this has been or can be addressed by someone over there. You can also do a search in the search box and it will take you to a thread from past posts. Good luck with this! maybe they need some mental stimulation, something new in the run to investigate.
welcome to this site. it is very helpful!

 

[easttxchick]

How old are your birds? And do they have plenty of room in their coop and run?

 

[CHIC]

You probably have too many chickens for your space. Also, make sure the layer crumbles are their main feed and scratch is only given as a treat. Its also molting season so that may contribute to their losing feathers. Toss a little cat food in with them to supplement some protein. That may help. You also need to make sure they have enough space. They should have at least around 4 sq ft per chicken in the coop and 10 sq ft in the run. If you don't and can't expand, you may need to think about thinning out your flock.

 

[n-da-woods]

from NC

 

[M To The Maxx]

How old are your birds?

 

[English Chick]

 

[eggsrcool]

from England. Glad you joined us!!

To do with the feather picking, 'boredom' and overcrowding can be causes.

You can spray them with PurpleSpray, helps with the healing process and stops other hens from feather picking- it tastes AWFUL!

Welcome to BYC

 

[texasgal]

A big Texas size