Hen eating rooster feathers? (pics)

[CrazyForCochins927]

I have been watching my hens for a while and it looks like one of them is picking on a rooster...literally! I have noticed a few places where it looks like there has been feathers pulled out of the rooster's neck, and then today I saw her following him and grabbing some of his tail feathers and then eating them. They are all standard cochins, so she was eating his fluffy, small tail feathers, not the long ones. They are about 7 months old and recently started laying (and mating). He kinda spins around when she does this, but doesn't peck or attack her or anything. Any idea why she would be doing this?

Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Sorin]

I'm not 100% sure, but I read somewhere of several possible causes one being overcrowding and the other being protein deficiency. I just had a BR that was doing the same thing to my little bantam Cochin, she was plucking her bald. O know mine aren't overcrowded, and for several days I gave her scrambled egg and she still persisted. I ended up rehoming her to a friend with a much larger flock where she couldn't do as much damage.

 

[CrazyForCochins927]

Here is our run...

And the culprit doing the picking...

And our poor guy...

He is the only rooster, so we figured that he would be dominant and wouldn't have problems like this...

 

[CrazyForCochins927]

Is it possible that the hen is the top of the pecking order? Or are roosters always at the top?

 

[taprock]

We went through that this winter. She was slurping his feathers down like spaghetti... And he let her! She would sit on the roost next to him and pluck him. I figured it was boredom and lack of protein. I upped the protein and it helped but I had way too many roos and my two that got plucked the most ended up rehomed. I haven't had the problem since with anyone new.

 

[CrazyForCochins927]

Yeah, he doesn't really do anything to stop her. As I am watching her more I am seeing her peck some of the others as well. And I don't see any of the others pecking each other. I am going to get some protein tomorrow, so hopefully it will help.

 

[Judy]

Not that adding protein is a bad idea, it's not, but... when you know one in particular is doing the pecking or feather pulling i believe that one should be penned by itself for a week. Puts her at the bottom of the pecking order when she is returned -- and hopefully stops the behavior from spreading to all of them.

 

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

I got told the hens groom the rooster.....

 

[CrazyForCochins927]

And we are now in solitary... thanks for the advice! I will let you know how it goes

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I know you can get a spray called "hot-pick" that when they peck/pick it's bitter and they will eventually stop!
http://www.eggcartons.com/Hot-Pick-4-oz/productinfo/HOTP-4/