Help! Pecking Problem!

[ChickenCanoe]

Do u no y only one hen is eating the others feathers? Surely if it was a protein problem the others wud be doing the same? Thanks.

Not necessarily, some have greater needs than others which could be because of any number of things like metabolism, parasites, molting, etc.. She could also be the best layer requiring more protein. An egg a day is the equivalent of a woman having an 8 pound baby every day.
She could also be the first to discover that she felt better after eating feathers.
Being the oldest, she's had more wear and tear and needs better nutrition to stay up to par.

They're not machines, they're individuals with unique needs, both environmentally and nutritionally.
I like it cold weather, some people like it hot. Some people can thrive on a vegetarian diet, some people need meat. Chickens are no different.

Chicken feed formulas are the result of many decades of research in the optimal nutritional needs of chickens.
If you read the label on most bags of feed it will say something to the effect - "This is a complete ration, no other supplement is needed." So if one supplements that complete feed, they're toying with the results of that research.

 

[CrazyChick4]

Thank you for your help do u no wat scraps we can feed them that wont worsen the problem?

 

[CrazyChick4]

We do give them alot of fish skin that is left over from dinner I hope thatl help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Fish skin is mostly fat, not much protein. Most scraps can be good because as I said they're omnivorous. And it is good use of something you would normally compost or throw away. You just have to get a feel on how much you're giving
I even give them turkey and chicken bones that they clean up. Any meat scraps. If I get a good deal on things like beef kidney, I'll feed that.
Vegetable scraps usually need to be chopped up very small for them to make use of them. A chunk of hard broccoli stalk will be ignored because they don't have hands and teeth, but if you chop it up fine they'll eat the whole thing.
It often helps to look up the protein % of various human foods so you get a feel for getting a good balance.

 

[CrazyChick4]

Thank you for ur advice

 

[Kitty990]

"chicken can eat meat, however some people believe it makes them more aggressive." - i hear this alot

chickens love bugs, crickets, maelworms, worms, beetles. most bugs you can get at the feed store, fishing sports store or pet-shops,

i give my chickens hot dogs (about once a month or two) for a snack. we normally give them the turkey dogs over the beef meat by-product ones. (they normally mix beef pork and chickens in thoses one) but the girls really like them and i dont see any incerease aggerssion. i do not like feeding them chicken meat or eggs... something about cannibalism... i don't like.

 

[Jason49424]

I have used Pinless Peepers. They go over the beak and stop the chicken from pecking others by stopping them from seeing what is right in front of them. They can be a temporary thing as you can remove them at any time and they re usable.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321104110127?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

 

[CrazyChick4]

I agree I dont give my chickens cooked chicken to eat, I draw the line at that but tunas good and they love pouting fillet (any fish really!) pork, beef veg all sorts

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Flock dynamics. Chickens will kill weak or injured birds and cannibalize them with no ill health effects. If they can eat a raw chicken, why not a cooked one.
Is there a difference between feeding turkey or chicken to chickens? Once it's processed and cooked, it's meat.
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/range556/appl_behave/projects/chicken_cannibalism.html
Cannibalism is a problem in domestic flocks but I don't believe the birds make the connection between a small piece of cooked meat and a live bird.

 

[beauzdad]

HELP!! I'm new I had 16 birds with 3 Roos and 13 pullets at about 14 weeks. Just removed 2 of the Roos.. It's been raining a lot here and the chicks are spending a lot of time under the raised coop. My rooster is being pecked on his butt by multiple hens. What do I do? I put bacitracin on his butt , but itself bloody. Should I separate him?