Feather plucking

[Bickstead]

I have a pullet that we call Pecky because since the day we got her, she pecks at everything. Should have taken her back. Her pecking has turned into feather plucking. She does it to all of the hens. They have a protein rich feed, fruits and veggies, plenty of space. I am going to try separating her for awhile. I looked at other threads and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of advice for this.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

How many chickens are there in how much sqft? Sometimes feather plucking is caused by being cramped.

 

[Bickstead]

96 sq feet and 6 hens. I made sure we had extra room

 

[FarmerGirl101]

So that isn't the issue then. What is their feed? Also, how often do they get veggies and other treats?

 

[Bickstead]

Kambalch high protein, they get a mix of fruits and veggies almost every day. I might miss a day here and there. Meal worms every morning. I sprinkle them around so they have to scratch for them. They have a dirt run, I turn it over once a week (it gets cleaned every day) but the dirt starts to compact so I turn it to make it soft. They love dust bathing in it. Its been hot here and they prefer to hang out in the coop. The run has a lot of shade, misters, but the coop has fans and they prefer it in there.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

When do you feed them fruits and veggies? Treats should only be 10% of their diet but I find that if I give them scraps a few hours after they wake up then they fill up on food first and I don't have issues.

 

[Bickstead]

They get them in the evening. They have free food all day, but they mainly eat first thing in the morning and again in early evening. Then I take out snacks. Then some of them nibble on their feed right before they head to bed for the night

 

[rosemarythyme]

What else is in the run for them to interact with? Boredom can also lead to pecking.

 

[thecatumbrella]

This is why I had feather picking in my last flock. I also thought they had plenty of space with 20 sqft/bird. I was wrong. Not every bird is cut out for a confinement situation where they have to make their own entertainment, even with your best efforts.

What breeds are you keeping? Rhode Island Reds, or any hybrids that are mixed with them, have a tendency to feather pick. I've also had it happen because a high-production layer was being bullied away from the feeder and not getting enough protein.

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that once you start pulling feathers, you're out. It can be a very hard habit to break. Rehoming to a free-range environment will both alleviate the boredom and break the habit, at least in my experience.

 

[Bickstead]

I thought of that, except she has exhibited this behavior from day one. It started as pecking and has developed into plucking. But they have perches, shallow bowls with water that I put frozen vegetables in, dust bath bin (as well as the dirt in the run) and they spend a lot of their time (by choice) inside the coop which has different levels and things to climb on. I am going to add a tree perch and ladder tomorrow to see if that may help. I also wnat to hang vegetables for them to bob at. Do you have any other recommendations? Other things I've had in the run they have ignored. And I left them for long periods of time for them to get used to. I would wven put them on the objects several times lol.

What else is in the run for them to interact with? Boredom can also lead to pecking.