Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[jajeanpierre]

The feathers on the shoulders and up on the back are fine. It is the feathers just before the tail that are broken, chewed or missing.

Reckon the rooster did this... bald butt?

I can't tell what I'm seeing in that picture. Can you send one that shows the whole chicken?

Feather plucking is a form of cannibalism. How crowded are your birds?

 

[jajeanpierre]

The feathers on the shoulders and up on the back are fine. It is the feathers just before the tail that are broken, chewed or missing.

Reckon the rooster did this... bald butt?

Is that a lavender? Lavenders usually have really awful feathers that are damaged and break easily. It goes with the gene for lavender.

 

[Triple Willow]

No, that is a Delaware. That is the area just below the vent. Nope, not crowded - coop is 4 square feet/bird and run has room for about 5 more birds with the 10 square feet/bird. The door between the coop and run are always open. The only time they have ever been confined to the coop was when the weather was at its coldest (not long periods of time).

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hi TW, I have the same broken feathers above the tail and am quite sure it is my roo doing it. It only happens to the two hens he favors. The roo's front toes wrap around the top of their wings (shoulders?) when mating and I think the back, forth toe is the one that aking their feathers. I don't have rats and I have never seen signs of mice, though their sleeping right through a mouse's nibbling is plausible, but then why only two of them out of 15? Let us know what you find out, if you discover the cause. : )

oh I know I have racked my brain WHY they are eating the feathers. The girls backs are plum naked! Along with the 16% layer and the BOSS they also get probably 3 cups a week or cat food as a treat. I just don't understand it. I'm thinking it's lack of calcuim although they have oyster shells 24-7 BUT don't like those and will eat their eggs shells I bake for them but I can't keep them in egg shells 24-7. Someone told me to give them some kale, turnips and dark greens for added calcium. They also free rangle most every day as well so you know they gotta be getting a FEW bugs. yep I saw one grab a feather off the ground this evening eating it.

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe they just need more fiber? Possibly giving them more barley or oats in their ration to increase dietary fiber? I've never had this problem in my flocks so I don't know what you could do to fix it but I know it's not your current protein, calcium and lysine levels or your stocking rate, so the only thing that leaves that feathers provide is fiber.

This is an interesting read about it: http://www.veeru.reading.ac.uk/comp2/Poultryweb/disease/feath/feath1.htm

 

[Triple Willow]

Maybe they just need more fiber?  Possibly giving them more barley or oats in their ration to increase dietary fiber?  I've never had this problem in my flocks so I don't know what you could do to fix it but I know it's not your current protein, calcium and lysine levels or your stocking rate, so the only thing that leaves that feathers provide is fiber. 

This is an interesting read about it:  http://www.veeru.reading.ac.uk/comp2/Poultryweb/disease/feath/feath1.htm

20% of my ration is steam rolled oats

 

[Beekissed]

TW, yours looks more like they've been chewed off rather than plucked. There's only a few things that chew feathers...mice, lice or cockroaches. I'm at a loss for both situations because I can't be there and see it first hand and I've never seen anything like this in my flocks.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Maybe they just need more fiber? Possibly giving them more barley or oats in their ration to increase dietary fiber? I've never had this problem in my flocks so I don't know what you could do to fix it but I know it's not your current protein, calcium and lysine levels or your stocking rate, so the only thing that leaves that feathers provide is fiber.

This is an interesting read about it: http://www.veeru.reading.ac.uk/comp2/Poultryweb/disease/feath/feath1.htm

thanx Bee. I know it CAN'T be lack of protein UNLESS the people that make this food they're eating is lying about the % of protein in their food.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Rose, try a little alfalfa in your ferment. High protein, good calcium for egg layers, totally acceptable fat.... But 20%-30% fiber! That goes a long way from 5% fiber layer feed... If it's a fiber issue, well....

 

[Triple Willow]

TW, yours looks more like they've been chewed off rather than plucked.  There's only a few things that chew feathers...mice, lice or cockroaches.  I'm at a loss for  both situations because I can't be there and see it first hand and I've never seen anything like this in my flocks.  

I agree, they do look chewed, mostly anyhow. I wish I had a camera out there to watch them at night (I think). Whatever it is or was, they are looking better. But if it is something chewing on them I wonder why it isn't chewing on all of them...? Whatever is going on, I don't think it is affecting egg production and they all seem to act fine.