Hen picking

[ShMcCaule]

I have five hens and one rooster. Just noticing that all but one hen are missing feathers around their mouths. The one hen seems to be pulling their feathers out!! They have a large 15x15’ fenced area and an 8x10’ shed converted coop. Even if let out in the rest of the yard to roam, she still picks at them. Any thoughts???

 

[ashlierami]

I have five hens and one rooster. Just noticing that all but one hen are missing feathers around their mouths. The one hen seems to be pulling their feathers out!! They have a large 15x15’ fenced area and an 8x10’ shed converted coop. Even if let out in the rest of the yard to roam, she still picks at them. Any thoughts???

She may need some extra protein. Is she showing broody signs? I would up her protein if not and get a bottle of no pick at the farm supply store

 

[ShMcCaule]

She’s not broody. I’ll try the protein! Thanks!

 

[aart]

I have five hens and one rooster. Just noticing that all but one hen are missing feathers around their mouths. The one hen seems to be pulling their feathers out!! They have a large 15x15’ fenced area and an 8x10’ shed converted coop. Even if let out in the rest of the yard to roam, she still picks at them. Any thoughts???

Have you seen this happening..oh, you have,
do the other birds stand there and let her?
Are they easter eggers with muffs/beards?
How old are birds?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Even with higher protein this can still happen.
My EE's seem to love to pick each other facial feathers out...SMH.
When they grow back after a molt I hardly recognize them

 

[ShMcCaule]

Have you seen this happening..oh, you have,
do the other birds stand there and let her?
Are they easter eggers with muffs/beards?
How old are birds?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Even with higher protein this can still happen.
My EE's seem to love to pick each other facial feathers out...SMH.
When they grow back after a molt I hardly recognize them

They are easter eggers! Four of the hens are muffy. The one that isn’t is the one picking. They just stand there and let her pick. The rooster even stands there. At first I thought she was just cleaning them? And didn’t realize she was the only one doing it. The birds are about 7 months, started laying a month and a half ago.

I feed them layer pellets, about 3/4 of an 8oz coffee can of scratch daily, feed their shells back for calcium, and then they get food scraps every day like our canned corn, rice, greens, broccoli stalks, strawberry ends.

They haven’t molted yet so I will have to wait and see!

 

[aart]

They are easter eggers! Four of the hens are muffy. The one that isn’t is the one picking. They just stand there and let her pick. The rooster even stands there. At first I thought she was just cleaning them? And didn’t realize she was the only one doing it. The birds are about 7 months, started laying a month and a half ago.

I feed them layer pellets, about 3/4 of an 8oz coffee can of scratch daily, feed their shells back for calcium, and then they get food scraps every day like our canned corn, rice, greens, broccoli stalks, strawberry ends.

They haven’t molted yet so I will have to wait and see!

Oh, they won't likely molt until next fall.
If your layer pellets are 16% protein(most are) then you are really diluting their nutrition with all the extras....cut out everything, especially the scratch, but the layer feed.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was also going to ask if they're muffed birds, as they can get food bits stuck in their muffs/beards and the others like to groom them clean (while ripping out all the feathers in the process). One of my EEs is picked clean, the other has about 50% of her beard remaining.

 

[aart]

as they can get food bits stuck in their muffs/beards and the others like to groom them clean (while ripping out all the feathers in the process).

The bits of food are just a gateway to the feathers for 'dessert'.
Watching this happen just used to baffle me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The bits of food are just a gateway to the feathers for 'dessert'.
Watching this happen just used to baffle me.

Yeah it was fine for a year or so, and I was super happy to have muffed birds with muffs, then someone got too vigorous in grooming one day and it just took off from there. Doesn't help that my now almost-naked-necked bird has cross beak and is a massively messy eater/drinker, so there's always food bit all over her face and head, which just gives the others more reason to check her face for dessert.

It really is funny how the "groomed" bird just stands there and takes it. They may make a few protesting squawks but otherwise it doesn't seem to bother them much.

 

[aart]

It really is funny how the "groomed" bird just stands there and takes it. They may make a few protesting squawks but otherwise it doesn't seem to bother them much.

IKR!?? SMH.