finding Feathers in the brooder ? help !

[BarredRockGirls]

my 15 girls are 5.5 weeks - as far as i know they are all pullets- i paid for pre sexing from Meyer - one is IFFY tho ... i know they are getting stir crazy in their brooder . i let them out when i clean it as much as i can . but today we had a waterer dump over and cause a HUGE ruckus.... when i was cleaning i noticed chicken feathers in the bedding. not fluff. FULL feathers not broken . they are all fully feathered . none are injured .... ive seen a few charging or bumping each other ... they cant be molting already? soooooo are they fighting ? like for real? is my IFFY maybe trying to do something ? im so at a loss as to why Full fealthers would be coming out.

anyone have any experience or have this happen ?
thanks

 

[BrambleFoxFarm]

At about that age they do go stir crazy. Feather plucking can become a huge issue. To combat it we find rotten logs from the woods for them to peck at, hang bird toys, provide food scraps and fresh greens from the yard. Ever since we started doing that and keeping the occupied we haven't had a problem with plucking. Also if one ever starts bleeding separate it so the others don't pick up the bad habit of pecking the injured one. Chickens are ruthless when they see an injured bird!

 

[BarredRockGirls]

Thank you for your reply! I think our coop will be done this weekend thank goodness ! Today I thought one of the Pullets combs was in fact bloody but when I inspected her it was just poo . Freaked me out tho . I let them out today for an extended amount of time and they really seemed to enjoy that!! I have tried sand pans but w 15 of them it's gone in 5 secs!