Help...all those beautiful new feathers are missing!

[Bandit]

My 6 week old chicks have a bad habit of pecking each others feathers and breaking them off, then eating them. It started when they were too crowded in the brooder (I know, it's all my fault) and we hadn't QUITE got the coop finished. Now they have plenty of room and free range in the fenced yard during the day but still they are breaking off and eating those feathers. What can I do to stop this really bad habit? I think I read once in on BYC about how to stop it but I can't quite remember....is there something I can put on them so the feathers taste bad or something? Help, all those beautiful new feathers are being broken and eaten!

 

[chicmom]

What are you feeding them? Hopefully it's a good chick starter/grower formula. Sometimes feather eating is a sign of chicks needing more protein.

 

[Bandit]

I have them on chick starter. It's almost gone so I went and bought chick grower at the store. But the starter is high protein. I think by now it's just a bad habit that I want to break them of.

 

[Bandit]

But does anyone know if I can put stuff on their feathers so they will taste so bad they won't eat them?

 

[jossanne]

I got this blue stuff at the feed store a few years ago that was supposed to deter feather-picking. It did nothing. Some chickens are just more prone to that behavior. I had a group of RIR's from McMurray that came in a batch of rainbow layers. They were terrible, and picked on everyone but themselves. The RIRs' feathers were beautiful, and every other bird in the flock was developing a bare back. So I sold them right about point of lay. Things really calmed down after that.

Sorry, I don't know what to tell you. I wonder if they had something fun to peck at, like a head of cabbage or lettuce hanging from the ceiling of the coop, if they'd leave each other alone a bit?

 

[Tala]

I think there are blinders you can use. Search for pinless peepers.

Feather EATING does sound like a protein deficiency, so I'd up them to at least 20% protein feed (game bird feed, chick starter, whatever you have to use) because GROWING THOSE NEW FEATHERS requires a lot of protein and it sounds like they have a lot of feathers they need to re-grow

 

[Kittymomma]

You might try hanging some suet feeders for them. I don't think I'd leave them out all the time, but maybe for a week or so to start and then twice a week or so. Suet is high in protien and will give them something else to peck at besides each other.

I haven't had a problem with feather picking before, but we had some really cold (6 degrees) for us weather in early Dec. and I put suet feeders out to off set the extra scratch I was feeding and they really seemed to enjoy it. You could even put chunks of apples, bannanas or whatever in them whenever you don't want them to have the suet cakes.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Every pre-made suet block that I've ever bought had 10-12% protein, which is low, kindof like scratch.
However it DOES give them something else to peck at other than each other. I suggest hanging it just barely within their reach -- they will entertain themselves jumping up at it! lol

 

[andbab]

I have used something called stop pick. It is a nasty sticky red stuff in a little tub. It has cayenne in it and really worked for me.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Every pre-made suet block that I've ever bought had 10-12% protein, which is low, kindof like scratch.
However it DOES give them something else to peck at other than each other. I suggest hanging it just barely within their reach -- they will entertain themselves jumping up at it! lol

I should have checked, didn't even think about that. I make my own and I think they are higher since I use beef suet frome our steers and peanut butter as the base, but I've never really tried to figure it out. Mmmnn, If you're up for making your own (stinky house for a few hours, but pretty easy) you could even add mealworms and sm. grasshoppers. I bet the chooks would go nuts, and it would certainly up the protien. Darn, now I might have to make some special ones for my girls next time we butcher. Dh is going to be rolling his eyes at me again I'm sure.