Is this molting? New chicken owner here

[Zobot0110]

 

[tlcmurphy]

Each of those coops is likely only big enough for 3 birds. Overcrowding and boredom can cause feather picking.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So you need a bigger coop or fewer birds.

 

[Zobot0110]

Thank you everyone. Learning as I go.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you everyone. Learning as I go.

That's how we all learn.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, and those prefab deals - vastly overestimate how many can fit there.

A couple of solutions:

• Add more clutter, you are wasting the vertical space, your birds can see every other bird nearly 100% of the time
  • add ladders, sawhorses, pallets up on blocks, leaned against the wall,
• Put all your birds in pin less peepers - that should stop the feather picking
• examine your birds for mites just to make sure
• reduce the size of the flock, which is easier and cheaper than adding more space, but that is also an option. If you go this route I would still add the peepers, because feather picking can be a hard habit to break, even if you get rid of the overcrowding.

I would also, take a head count and know, that regardless of feet or inches and what everyone says... you KNOW that this many chickens does not do well in this much space.

Mrs K