MY CHICKENS ARE PLUCKING THEMSELVES TO DEATH

[Stephanie8806]

Okay! I just read through all these pages... it can get annoying when people don’t do that and I wanted to sort of “pay it forward” Anyhoot:

I’m glad you’re sad was able to help you!!! A new coop was definitely in order. They needed an actual roost that had a bit of elbow room. It’s funny, it varies from chicken to chicken. For instance, I had an original flock of 12, so I provided two six foot roosting bars inside their coop... but, they all crammed together on one with room to spare!

I don’t think the feed is as much of an issue, as some people think. As long as they’re getting a chicken layer feed, you are providing free choice calcium(a side dish of oyster shell), and free ranging, I think you’re doing just fine. Supplement with protein snacks now, to help them grow the feathers back... mackerel seems to work for some, we occasionally give scrambled eggs, but grubs or mealworms are just fine. Also, it may not sit well with some people, but birds are just animals, and they don’t have sentimental feelings like humans... we make bone broth in our crock pot from stewed animal bones(think, the carcass that’s left over after you eat the meat from a roasted chicken or turkey)... don’t add salt to the soup, just salt to taste as you use the broth. After you strain out the liquid, you’re left with super cooked down mushy veggies, and bones with meat clinging to them. I dump this into a baking tray and give it to our hens... let me tell you, it’s a feeding frenzy! Protein and collagen are essential for feather growth and these scraps have a ton. Once they have picked the bones clean, or seem to have given up on it, I toss the leftovers. I would also pull it each night until it’s gone, so that the food smells don’t attract unwanted scavengers.

I would think, just maybe, that your two chickens are just not the best at getting along. Pecking feathers is usually a sign of boredom, but it’s also a sign of one trying to boss another around... its where the term “pecking order” comes from. Just like humans, some animals get along better than others. Perhaps, since there’s only two, they are constantly vying for the “top spot”, since its very clear that there’s a “winner” and a “loser”. Not necessarily an endorsement to get more chickens, as I think the coop you currently have looks like any more than two might be a crowd... but something to think about... the bottom of the totem pole is less lonely if there’s company. Just a thought!

Either way, I know I’m finding this a bit late! It takes a while for feathers to grow, longer while they’re trying to break the habit... but I’m hoping your girls start to recover their plumage! You’re obviously a good chicken mama who cares about her girls as well as cares about being a good chicken-keeper in general! Please keep us updated!

 

[chickenMamee]

Okay thanks! I have some dried meal worms I feed them as treats, I'm scared if I feed them eggs they will like the taste and start eating their own eggs in the coop

Cooked eggs only. I would wait until a few hours after dark and with a flashlight check each bird for mites or lice. Check vent area, under wings, back, etc. sometimes it’s very hard to see these blood suckers unless you have a good flashlight and check at night.
Also, I would give them feather fixer feed, add some room to their run area. They need a roost pole to sit on during the day as well. Good luck

 

[chickenMamee]

Okay! I just read through all these pages... it can get annoying when people don’t do that and I wanted to sort of “pay it forward” Anyhoot:

I’m glad you’re sad was able to help you!!! A new coop was definitely in order. They needed an actual roost that had a bit of elbow room. It’s funny, it varies from chicken to chicken. For instance, I had an original flock of 12, so I provided two six foot roosting bars inside their coop... but, they all crammed together on one with room to spare!

I don’t think the feed is as much of an issue, as some people think. As long as they’re getting a chicken layer feed, you are providing free choice calcium(a side dish of oyster shell), and free ranging, I think you’re doing just fine. Supplement with protein snacks now, to help them grow the feathers back... mackerel seems to work for some, we occasionally give scrambled eggs, but grubs or mealworms are just fine. Also, it may not sit well with some people, but birds are just animals, and they don’t have sentimental feelings like humans... we make bone broth in our crock pot from stewed animal bones(think, the carcass that’s left over after you eat the meat from a roasted chicken or turkey)... don’t add salt to the soup, just salt to taste as you use the broth. After you strain out the liquid, you’re left with super cooked down mushy veggies, and bones with meat clinging to them. I dump this into a baking tray and give it to our hens... let me tell you, it’s a feeding frenzy! Protein and collagen are essential for feather growth and these scraps have a ton. Once they have picked the bones clean, or seem to have given up on it, I toss the leftovers. I would also pull it each night until it’s gone, so that the food smells don’t attract unwanted scavengers.

I would think, just maybe, that your two chickens are just not the best at getting along. Pecking feathers is usually a sign of boredom, but it’s also a sign of one trying to boss another around... its where the term “pecking order” comes from. Just like humans, some animals get along better than others. Perhaps, since there’s only two, they are constantly vying for the “top spot”, since its very clear that there’s a “winner” and a “loser”. Not necessarily an endorsement to get more chickens, as I think the coop you currently have looks like any more than two might be a crowd... but something to think about... the bottom of the totem pole is less lonely if there’s company. Just a thought!

Either way, I know I’m finding this a bit late! It takes a while for feathers to grow, longer while they’re trying to break the habit... but I’m hoping your girls start to recover their plumage! You’re obviously a good chicken mama who cares about her girls as well as cares about being a good chicken-keeper in general! Please keep us updated!

Oh yes I agree about the feeding frenzies. My family (not I) hunt so the chickens get all sorts of organ meats and such from the kills. They love deer scraps especially and it’s good for them.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Oh yes I agree about the feeding frenzies. My family (not I) hunt so the chickens get all sorts of organ meats and such from the kills. They love deer scraps especially and it’s good for them.

We hunt as well! We eat most of the organs, and the dog gets some, but the chickens certainly get their share! It makes for such nutrient dense eggs also

 

[Dephora]

First, congrats on doing the best you can for your chickens, I am sure they enjoy the new coop! Having said that, I agree with others that it may actually be a mite issue instead of a space issue, though they would need a better coop in the future, so the upgrade was a good idea. Are you sure there are no mites? I see you say that you do not provide a dust bath, which helps in the prevention of mites.

I have had chickens pick at themselves in boredom. But to hear that a chicken has pecked through their OWN saddle cover over time sounds like they have a terrible itch... or it is being left on much too long. I have not heard you say yet if you have investigated their vents, under their wings etc. It is a simple thing to check on your bird, and can save you lots of time trying everything else. It is wonderful your hens free range all day, but because they do, this means they no doubt come into contact with mites just out in the wild. Wild birds often carry them around, so they are more at risk if they hang out near where wild birds are... which tends to be everywhere.

 

[NatJ]

I see you say that you do not provide a dust bath...It is wonderful your hens free range all day

If the chickens are ranging in the area pictured, there is no need to "provide" a dust bath. I see plenty of dirt (or sand or something similar) in the photos.

 

[Dephora]

If the chickens are ranging in the area pictured, there is no need to "provide" a dust bath. I see plenty of dirt (or sand or something similar) in the photos.

mmm I suppose to each their own, some may not have dry (or not frozen ) dirt all year round, so it is a good idea to keep a separate area for it. In any case, the hens should be thoroughly checked for mites, to rule it out.

 

[gluckgluck9000]

Hello everyone! Thank you all for your kind suggestions and responses. Unfortunately, it's only been getting worse. My ladies haven't laid in over 2 weeks and although their back hair is growing back (yay) fritz neck is now completely destroyed and she no longer has a pretty tail, as it has been munched away as well. Now I have not one, but two tail(less) chickens. I have been letting them out everyday, putting out the oysters, and checking for mites. They have lots of dirt for dirt baths, and yet things seem to be going downhill. I feel sad and defeated. I'm about to go to the store for the first time in over a year to buy eggs . There are even raw spots around her neck too. I don't know what to do any more, I have really put my all into trying to help them, and now they won't even lay. Also added some toys in the coop, I'll check again for mites tonight, but not sure why they aren't even laying now (maybe stress?). What should I do

 

[Stephanie8806]

Hello everyone! Thank you all for your kind suggestions and responses. Unfortunately, it's only been getting worse. My ladies haven't laid in over 2 weeks and although their back hair is growing back (yay) fritz neck is now completely destroyed and she no longer has a pretty tail, as it has been munched away as well. Now I have not one, but two tail(less) chickens. I have been letting them out everyday, putting out the oysters, and checking for mites. They have lots of dirt for dirt baths, and yet things seem to be going downhill. I feel sad and defeated. I'm about to go to the store for the first time in over a year to buy eggs . There are even raw spots around her neck too. I don't know what to do any more, I have really put my all into trying to help them, and now they won't even lay. Also added some toys in the coop, I'll check again for mites tonight, but not sure why they aren't even laying now (maybe stress?). What should I do

Okay, just an opinion, but have you considered that they might be molting? Chickens losing feather around their necks and from their tails is a definite sign of molt. They even stop laying during this time, and their combs and wattles turn from red to pink. It’s totally natural and it doesn’t mean they’re sick. I just had two chickens that molted and their regrowth looked exactly like the pictures you posted. Feathers all over the place(looking almost like an attack) is normal. They, like, spontaneously fall out over the course of a few days.

Molting is seasonal, but it can also be brought on by stress/change. If you’ve moved them to their new coop, the move could have triggered a molt.

As for the pecking at their saddles, maybe they’re just trying to get them off? I don’t remember, but were their backs bleeding from the pecking? Is that why you added the saddles?

I had some friends who’s chickens were getting bare backs with bright red skin. Even though they free ranged all day and had “enough” space in the coop, it was definitely a space and boredom issue. They expanded their coop/run, but also added a straw bale. The chickens would scratch and peck at the bale, and it was almost like a form of exercise. Solved the problem. She sprinkles some feed or scratch onto the bale every so often to encourage them to use it.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Also worth noting, on the pictures of those tail pin feathers, several have feather tufts coming out the end... which means they’ve been regrowing for a while. Tail feathers are quite large and have a big sturdy shaft, so they take time... one of my chickens escaped an attack this summer, but whatever it was got hold of her tail feathers and ripped them all out. She had a tear in her tail muscle and like two tai feathers left in the bloody stump. She healed, but it took her almost two whole months to get back to a full normal tail. It takes time.

Like many people have covered, supplementing protein will help with the regrowth.