Feather plucking

[PeterB94]

Hi everyone

A lot of my hens have the feathers missing at the base of their saddles and I witnessed one of the hens taking a dust bath and the others plucking/preening her quite intensely.

The chicken lying there isn't bottom of the pecking order and is quite fiesty so I'm unsure she's lie there and take it if it was malicious.

It'd Autumn here in the UK - are they just moulting?

 

[PeterB94]

*clearer image of the missing feathers

 

[3KillerBs]

Do you have a rooster?

If not, is the dominant hen mounting the others?

 

[PeterB94]

Do you have a rooster?

If not, is the dominant hen mounting the others?

Hi @3KillerBs

Thanks for your reply.

I dont have a rooster. The video which I couldn't upload, unsure if videos are unsupported on here... was of 3 of the hens all plucking the one dust bathing.

All 5 hens have the same thing the only one who doesn't is the one whose just come out of quarantine for suspected fly strike.

 

[3KillerBs]

What sort of feed are you using? Sometimes -- not always, but sometimes -- this behavior can be improved by raising the protein level.

 

[PeterB94]

What sort of feed are you using? Sometimes -- not always, but sometimes -- this behavior can be improved by raising the protein level.

Yeh iv read that a few times.

It's a well known brand of layers pellet although they do get protein sources from bugs and various sources.

They have a good size run and I give them various enrichment so I can't see those being the stress indicators

 

[PeterB94]

It's a pellet layers feed. I dont know the exact protein %.

What feed do you use if you don't mind ?

Also, why is it do you think that the chickens would just let it happen ?

 

[3KillerBs]

It's a pellet layers feed. I dont know the exact protein %.

What feed do you use if you don't mind ?

Also, why is it do you think that the chickens would just let it happen ?

I feed all-flock with oystershell on the side because I have a mixed flock with juveniles and males.

Always at least 18% protein.

 

[PeterB94]

I feed all-flock with oystershell on the side because I have a mixed flock with juveniles and males.

Always at least 18% protein.

Ok thank you, I'll have a look to see if I can get the equivalent in the UK.

I offer oyster shell and insoluble grit seperately at the minute.

 

[PeterB94]

Hi.

I'm still having pretty severe problems with feather plucking. A lot of it seems to be happening at dust bathing time when the chickens don't want to move. It seems to be 2 chickens mainly that are doing it, one being a known bully...

Shes even scratching their backs. A lot of the chickens are looking really patchy now.

Any advice welcome