Help! Still eating feathers.

[PDXChickGirl]

I have one girl (golden laced wyandotte) that picks feathers off my other chickens and eats them.

Their food is 19% protein, so I don't think protein is the problem.

I have added Black Oil Sunflower Seeds to their diet for the past week, and there is still no change in her behavior. She just keep picking feathers - the downy ones - a lot. The other chickens get mad and noisy, but don't do anything. She is the only one with this behavior.

Anything else I can do?

 

[silkiechicken]

You can try spraying "hot-pick" on them as that is to taste bad.

 

[Redfeathers]

I have one doing that too...she's the piggy of the group though, always the first to the food, the first to run up to me when I walk outside, always gets the most...you see my point...anyway, she eats the feathers whenever one of my polish lose one off of their heads...I figured it was normal. Guess I'll wait to see what the experts say.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

We had that problem a while back. YOU can get higher protien feed and that will help but some chickens are just little peckers! we had to isolate a couple and put them in with some older hens. They got an attitude adjustment and are fine now. So is everyone else!

hope this helps you
Randy

 

[PDXChickGirl]

What is hot pick?

Randy - I don't have older chickens. So worse case, if I needed to isolate her, would I keep her in a wire cage in the coop?

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Quote:
Yes, if thats all you have, at least for a while to see if that helps the "peckees". We had bleeding butts and something had to happen. So we took the two perpetrators out and everyone healed up nicely. See if that works for you. Never used "hot pick" so not sure, but silkiechicken will come back and clue us all in .

Let us know how it goes,

Randy

 

[MissPrissy]

You can up her protein by giving a small handful of dry cat food (daily) and see if it helps.

 

[Kerr]

Ok I am glad I read this thread

I just purchased 4 Ameraucana girls from a fella who lives a couple towns away....

He already had them in their travelling boxes when I picked them up so I didn't really examine them at first.

Got home - Took the first two out and they are very cute - one black one rusty coloured.

Took the next two out and ..well....they are UGLY

I know thats mean to say but ....
one is missing her feathers on her back - looks like someone shaved her to make a runway....and the other ---- is missing the same strip of feathers off her back and her neck feathers and her bum feathers....

seeing a pink bum on a chicken just looks weird.

All of my other chickens have such beautiful feathers I've never come across something like this....

The feathers do grow back...right?

kerri

 

[Chatychick]

Yes the feathers grow back and it dont take long either...how many roo's do you have with your hens? Usually the roo's are responsible for the missing feathers ...I was told that is a sign of a good layer ...

 

[Tuffoldhen]

The feathers missing down your hens backs are due from over-mating by a rooster...they will not grow back unless you don't have a rooster or keep him separated from the flock of hens for awhile....They do grow back you just need to keep the rooster penned or get yourself some chicken saddles or aprons for them....never heard of it being a sign of a good layer just one of the favorite hens of the rooster...