Help my chickens are loosing there feathers!

[mallenfam00]

Hello my name is Debbie Allen and we have 9 chickens. We have 3 orpingtons, 2 barrred rocks, 2 sexlinks, 2 rhode Island Reds. About a few weeks ago we noticed that some of there feathers were missing on there back close to there tails. It started out just the sexlinks were loosing them then the rhodes were and then the orpingtons now and a little on one of the barred rock. There is still one barred rock that has not lost any. I thought maybe it was her so I isolated her, but then saw one of the sexlinks do it to another hen. We have now seen all of them doing this to one another, but the one barred rock still has all her feathers. We have tried bitter apple, no peck and nothing is working. Has anyone experienced this and if so do you have any suggestions we are out of ideas. Thanks in advance! Deb

 

[GoldDogsMom]

I just posted this on someone else's thread...

I also had this problem and by the time I rehomed the plucker the other hens had picked up the habit so...I added a young rooster and the plucking ceased! Another thing to try is upping the protein in their diet. BOSS are high in protein and I also give them freeze dried mealworms. Some people on here even raise their own mealworms to supplement their diet.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

I am assuming that they are plucking each other and that they don't have mites or fleas or other creepy crawlies.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Feather plucking is usually caused by boredom or lack of protein (if they eat the feathers). What you can do is up their protein intake by feeding extra mealworms, scrambled eggs, a little dry cat food or meat scraps and/or give them a flock block to peck at instead. If that doesn't help you can try pinless peepers or poultry blinders:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/144815/pinless-peeper-poultry-blinders

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/569815/pinless-peepers-saves-the-day-or-chicken-butts-anyway

Flock block recipe:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/733009/flock-block-recipe

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/723868/my-flock-block-recipe

Good luck!

 

[mallenfam00]

I have not seen any flees or mites besides it is to cold here for thiem. What is BOSS?

 

[sumi]

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Nice treat and good supplement for chickens. More info here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/363200/boss

 

[GoldDogsMom]

oh sorry...black oil sunflower seeds

I had read that chickens will eat feathers to make up for a protein deficiency and even though my birds are on a good feed I figured it couldn't hurt to up the protein. I give it to them later in the day like a treat so they will eat their regular food during the day and not just fill up on sunflower seeds!

 

[sourland]

If and when all else fails give the Pinless Peepers a try. They are effective and generally if removed once the birds are back to free ranging they will give up this bad habit.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

If and when all else fails give the Pinless Peepers a try. They are effective and generally if removed once the birds are back to free ranging they will give up this bad habit.

How hard are they to put on? I ordered some then never used them...

 

[chickenpooplady]

from Highland County Ohio and God Bless!!! My uncle's chickens did this to each other when they were bored and did not have enough space.