Feather plucking from other chickens

[alang]

First I apologize if this is the wrong spot to post. I have been finding feathers strewn about for weeks and wasn't sure if this was normal. I am new to chickens and have a flock that all hatched together 10 weeks ago. Yesterday I finally discovered the issue. One silly hen appears to walk around and pluck feathers from all the other chickens! I put out grass clippings and everyone else ate grass and she circled the outside of the group and plucked feathers from their tails and undersides. Long feathers she drops to the ground and downy feathers she treats as a delicacy, first running around and showing them off and then eating them! A few chickens tried to reprimand her but most just jumped and ran. Is she cannibalistic? They all get the grower crumble feed recommend by my feed supply and nobody else has shown this behavior but she is really obsessed. Every minute or 2 she was grabbing a feather! Any advice appreciated. I am ready to remove her permanently from the situation. She is stressing everyone else.

 

[shortgrass]

Wow, I would remove her and change her diet vto a high protein feed for a week, then try putting her back. It might solve 2 issues...
1. Protein deficiency, and now she found the perfect source...I would watch her, she may become an egg eater
2. Pecking order. It may have simply started out from her being bossy, ie, lead hen. Found out they were delicious.

I would personally pull her out and give her a "time out" with some 20% protein or a game bird mix... A few days, at least. Give the rest time to recover

 

[aart]

What is the protein level of the feed you are using?
How much space do these birds have?

A timeout could help too.

 

[alang]

Protein level says 15%. Its the Poulin Grain crumble for 8 to 16 weeks according to the feed store.
28 ten week olds are in a coop that is 5x10 feet and a run that is 10x25 feet. Today I only saw her do it twice. Could the stress of us going on vacation and the chicks not getting attention and extra treats have precipitated this behavior? If I isolate her, do I put her completely alone or should I try to set up a smaller enclosure within the run? I feel bad stressing her if this could be a stress response. I definitely don't think she is top hen. Everyone is cautious around her and she seems to be alone a lot, probably because of her bad behavior.

 

[aart]

That's kinda low protein, I'd up it to at least 18%.......are you feeding any other foods/treats?

......and tight coop quarters for 28 birds, and it's only going to get tighter as they grow.

 

[alang]

They get mostly fruit and veggie treats and once the boys are eliminated in a month or two, there will be only half the number of chickens in the area.
What type of feed has higher protein?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

That's kinda low protein, I'd up it to at least 18%.......are you feeding any other foods/treats?

......and tight coop quarters for 28 birds, and it's only going to get tighter as they grow.

X 2 on both counts - the protein is low, especially for growing birds, and the tight quarters will only increase the potential for feather picking.

They get mostly fruit and veggie treats and once the boys are eliminated in a month or two, there will be only half the number of chickens in the area.
What type of feed has higher protein?

Fruits and veggies are going to drag an already low protein feed program even lower in overall protein intake by the birds. Cut the treats or, if you feel you must treat, choose treats that offer the birds a protein boost, animal protein would be an especially good choice.

There are a lot of things that can cause feather picking to begin in a flock, and it seems your situation, unfortunately, is one in which multiple causes are present. Increase their protein intake, increase the space available to them, increase their activities so that they have other things to focus on (this is key for the other birds in the group as once the habit starts with one bird it can quickly be picked up by others in the group),

 

[shortgrass]

Mealworms are a great protein boost as a treat... Maybe getting a game bird feed and mixing it in will increase protein, or alfalfa pellets added in...

That is a pretty small space; do the have appropriate roosting places and hidey holes or places to possibly escape to?

 

[aart]

I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

 

[alang]

I switched everyone to 22% protein game bird finisher feed. Interestingly, the protein dropped from 20% to 15% just 2 weeks ago when I switched off starter crumble, which is also when I left for vacation and her behavior got so much more apparent.
I am surprised about the space comments. I thought I had loads of space! I thought I read 2 to 4 square feet coop and 10 square feet run per bird??? I am at 2 for the coop and 9 for the run for now until boys are gone and they are not even adult size. What are your space recommendations for adolescents? And, yes, they have roosts and hiding spaces and an abundance of dust baths and I put branches in for them on which to climb and from which they pick berries and leaves