My chickens are eating feathers! Yikes!

[Chris09]

Quote:
Again, Do you have any information on your clam?

All I got to say is you go on believing what you want.

Chris

 

[WiiD King]

I'm not on here to argue with you but I did do my research I'm not going to cite my info for you I'm glad you can use google!!! Have a nice day

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
So what you are saying then is that when chickens start eating feathers we should up there Calcium (Ca) intake?
If so, how are you going to do that to chicks and roosters that are not supposed to have added Calcium in there diet do to health problems?

I have done the research, and I have found much the same information, feed is lacking in Protein, feed is lacking in Animal based Protein, Mites or Lice, Boredom and Mineral imbalance.
Here is a quote from Dr Marinus van Krimpen of Wageningen University and if you would like more information I'm sure you can "Google".

"Severe feather pecking has been reported in birds that were fed a too low mineral level in the diet, a too low protein level or a too low amino acid level (methionine, arginine).
There appears to be somewhat more more feather pecking with diets containing only vegetable proteins compared to those fed some protein of animal origin.
Feather pecking is also more associated with diets that were restricted, coarsely ground or fed as pellets."
Dr Marinus van Krimpen of Wageningen University


Chris

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I saw mine for the first time picking a feather off the ground & eating it. My girls do not pick each others feathers or their own (thank goodness). There is a lady I know that 3 cages of her chickens all have picked out red rumps. It is so sad, they are in this dog kennel cage 3 x 5, with a doggie igloo to sleep in, no place to run or forage. The one group that she has, that do not have bare bottoms are 2 hen & a roo who are in a 5 x 8 pen.

I have feathers everywhere, but none have blood on them or on my chickens. Their run is 20 x 20, and their coop is 6 x 6, and I do let them out to free range about once a week. Not much grass with the heat we have had in Texas, but they are finding the bugs.

I just upgraded their feed from chick start to grower/finisher this week, so we shall see what changes occur.

 

[Tina Thomp]

I noticed my chickens eating feathers too, so I started looking for answers. What I found was indeed it is most likely low in protein and one way to deal with it is feed them dry cat food since it is high in protein it should help

 

[Tina Thomp]

From what I've found, it most likely is low in protein and I was told the best thing is cat food. Since it is high in protein it should work also the chickens love it.

 

[barnaclebob]

My chickens eat their fluffy feathers that fall out, (the good eatin' feathers) and leave the stiffer feathers that fall out alone. They only eat grower feed since they arent laying yet and maybe an apple core and some scratch between the three of them. I'm not sure that feather eating is a problem unless it looks like they are pulling them out just to eat.

 

[appps]

Mine are also picking up and eating the feathers.

They are 14 weeks old on pullet grower with two breakfast bowls of warm mash made with my leftover chick starter each day. The chick starter is higher protien so I'm surprised its that because I was more worried I was giving them too high protien because of it. ??

As for boiled eggs peeling , fresh ones don't peel we'll. if you want them to peel nice they need to be a couple of weeks old. Older the easier.

 

[lauranickerson]

I always saw chickens eat feathers before, but today I saw my young cockerels picking at the other ones, along with my pullets, too, and eating the feathers up right away. It was like they couldn't get enough.

Some of the cockerels have bare tails, which I would be worried about more if they weren't going into the freezer in a while anyways, but I don't want them plucking my pullets bare, too.

I'm finishing up the last bag of chick starter for these guys that I got mid-March. It's fermented, and I also added cracked corn and black oil sunflower seeds (before ever reading this post). Not sure what else to do. I've given them eggs a couple times, but they aren't laying yet and I hate buying eggs all the time just for them. Haha.

Any suggestions?

 

[Smangerer]

I have three, three and a half month olds and just today noticed that one was picking out the others feathers and eating them if they were small enough. The others would sometimes chase and try to get the picked feathers. I had run out of meal worms two days ago and after reading this thread I figured maybe she was making up for not getting her favorite treat. I bought more and gave some black oil sunflower seeds. I put the seeds in a dish next to scratch and the picker went nuts on the seeds but only wanted the de-shelled ones so i ground up more and put them in there. I also gave them a boiled egg. I had tried all this throughout the day and she didn't really stop until the end of the day when I gave her the seeds.

We will see tomorrow if she continues and I think she will. Heres why,

I called the lady I got the birds from and she said that its normal behavior and that they are establishing their pecking order. They are getting old enough to recognize each-other as competition and are starting to show dominance. I will continue to give them more protein but it sounds like I might just have to let them be.