Feather plucking and eating - Is it normal or not?

[kittycast]

So I posted a few questions about my 7 week old chicks and I had two people reply saying that feather eating is normal, but I have read other posts about feather eating and plucking that say it leads to cannibalism . I am confused. Can someone please clear this up for me please. Thank you.

 

[jenni2142]

I see mine eating feathers sometimes and don't worry. But if I saw them pull them out to eat them then I might start to worry about nutritional deficiencies. What is it that yours are doing?

 

[kittycast]

Well one was eating her feathers, but I started giving boiled eggs and she seems to have stopped. Another the most dominate girl even more so than our 2 roos has pecked at others and pulled feathers and eaten them. I have separated her but am worried about her being lonely now. I'm hoping the separation will chill her out a little she has always been a pecker since she was little.

 

[TXmom]

I used to see mine eating feathers all the time, but it has slowed down now that they're a little older. Mine are 5 months (22 weeks) now, and they ate the most feathers (as I saw it) when they were probably 6-14 weeks. If somebody flapped their wings and a feather flew out...there would be 12 chickens running and fighting over that one feather!

I never saw any bare patches or anything...not just one chick was getting picked on, so I didn't worry about it too much.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I have read that feather eating is a sign of a protein deficiency.

Kittycast- I think you were right on to supplement w/cooked eggs to boost the protein in the diet. I think I would do the same thing if I saw feather eating in my flock.

 

[kittycast]

Well I decided to feed egg thanks to the people on this forum. I really wish I had known about adding cayenne for worms. I decided to worm because 2 were losing weight and I glad I did after I saw thin transparent worms in some of their poop. I don't like to use chemicals -I am trying to avoid seven dust and am trying to use other alternative for mites and lice to see how that works. I'm really glad for the alternative treatments people use on this forum. Thanks to you guys I am learning quite a bit.