Is there such thing as a Feather Eater?

[Delight30]

Today we integrated our 6 - 6wk old girls with our 5 - 12wk old girls. It seems to be going ok. They all moved to a new home today and have spent the last 2 weeks getting to know each other side by side in separate pens. I have one of the 6wk olds that seems to like to pull feathers out of the other girls. She has been separated from the flock for a few days now and I allowed her to make the transition with them today. It didn't take long for her to go after the other younger chickens again. Any suggestions on how to break this? She seems to pull the feathers out and eat them..... any help would be great. The home they moved to is 16x16 so there is plenty of room for everyone, I was hoping in the larger environment she might stop.

 

[Judy]

From everything I've read, it is a very difficult habit to break, and others in the flock eventually pick it up. Usually the causes cited are to little space, boredom, too little protein in the diet -- though changing these doesn't necessarily stop the habit. Here are a few links I keep on the subject:

http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/featherpicking.htm

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/517547/peepers-removed-and-no-feather-picking-d/0_20#post_6586027

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking/0_20

 

[Delight30]

Thank you so much!