Pecking and Eating Feathers

[alessadry]

So for the past two days, I have been seeing my baby chicks (4 weeks now) finding feathers and carrying them around in a game of keep-away. A closer observation today revealed that some chickens were actually trying to eat the feathers when they found a corner and could eat undisturbed. So every time I saw them pick a feather and run with it, I would intervene and offer a treat in exchange for the feather.

Fast forward a few hours, and I found another chicken carrying a feather and trying to eat it. I removed the feather once again, and this time I actually saw one chicken pulling the feathers off other chickens and eating them. Now, I know why all those feathers have been around! The worst part is that some chicks have blood spots now in their back.

So the offender is in chicken jail, while all the other chicks have moved to my new coop. The chicks with blood in the back have been medicated with Neosporin mixed with Bitter yuk, which is a product for dogs to stop them lick cause it tastes bad. They still get pecked a bit on, but it seems that as soon as they taste the bitter flavor they don't insist.

Anyhow, tomorrow I am going into town, looking for tips on what I should pick up. So far all chicks are on fermented chick starter using organic food with not less than 18 percent protein. Chicks eat an egg yolk a day, have grit, fermented food, trays with dry food and treat to keep them busy that is hung to the wall. I am thinking perhaps I need to up their protein, but then, why is only one chick obsessed with pulling feathers? Also, this new behaviors started 2 days ago, which coincides with when I added this treat that you hang to the wall, can it be this chick ate more this treat in these past days than her regular feed, leading to a protein deficiency, or would it take longer for this to occur?

Should I buy Blue Kote?
Should I buy a higher protein food?
What extra protein food should I feed?

Please help me make a list as I go into town only once a week, many thanks!

 

[azygous]

81 square feet should be adequate for four-week olds. However, they need to be outdoors where there are a lot of other distractions. Being cooped up at their age forces them to focus attention on one another instead of the environment - scratching in the soil for insects, exploring and eating green plants, and keeping watch for predators all require attention that they aren't focusing on at present so they focus on each other instead.

Chicken psychology is an important, yet under-utilized, part of flock management.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chicks reach an age when they become more active at about 6-8 weeks. At that age it's important to get them out to the coop or a larger pen preferably with access to outdoors and more area.

It's more of a behavioral problem from boredom than a protein deficiency. So it should stop as they occupy their time digging, pecking and generally running about and burning up energy in a bigger area.

I personally prefer to use bluekote and return all chicks back to the group. Leaving one separated can cause more troubles. If you put them down before the bluekote totally dries anyone who tries to peck them will get a mouthful of yuk.

The only time I have had pecking in chicks is when I fail to get them outside soon enough.

 

[alessadry]

Thanks, my chicks are only 4 weeks though, would this still apply? I can't imagine them being bored considering that they had quite a large area, that was half my Arizona room and we could walk into it to feed them, cuddle etc.

They had choice of wet fermented food, dry chick starter and ground chick starter. They were given grit to search for scattered around, and they pecked and dug in the shaving all day. They also had a window where they looked outside. And a treat for chicks hung to get them pecking at it. This was far more mentally stimulating than any other brooder I have used in the past, yet even with the older version brooders I used I never has a feather eating/pecking issue.

As soon as my other chicks get used to being in the coop and have a safe area fenced, I am planning to re-unite the "problem chick" by Monday and see how it goes. After that, once they are a bit bigger, they are going to be free range in our fenced acre.

.
I will get blue kote tomorrow. If I put them back before it totally dries, would getting a mouthful of yuck then further help discourage the other chicks from pecking the area?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How warm are you? I take mine outside into a temporary pen during the day in the first week.

I don't ferment, it scares me, and I personally don't think it's worth the risk of mold, so I have no knowledge about it.

How big is the area? And how many chicks?

Another thing is to check the feed tag and make sure your feed is fresh.

I have had chicks eat feathers they find, that's not a big deal, but pulling and pecking can quickly get out of hand and can quickly become an unstoppable habit, so keep them busy. You can try a daily dose of scrambled eggs for a good protein boost, just be ready for their poops to be a bit stinky.

If you can't get them outside than bring in fresh clean sod clumps for them to dig in and mess around with.

 

[Pork Pie]

I'm in agreement with Oldhens. Do you have tree branches for the chicks to perch on, or other objects that keep them occupied? Anyway, since you are moving them to the coop, maybe its something to consider for the future. Wet food, while resulting in less waste = chickens satiating their appetite faster than when using dry food only. They have an inborn behavioural drive to forage and this can be displaced when their appetite has been satisfied (sometimes resulting in negative behaviours, such as feather pecking).

This link should give more information. Some of it may not be relevant, but you may find it interesting either ways. Hopefully the move to the coop will provide them with sufficient distractions to stop the feather addiction.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1148824/topic-of-the-week-feather-pecking-eating

 

[alessadry]

Well, in these days it's been about 75-80 outside and 47 at night. I was planning to having them out beginning of this week, but we live in a rural area and our store has been out of fencing material and it's arriving tomorrow and everything should be put up shortly.

The chicks are 16 and we have been keeping them in a 6 foot x6 foot room. The feed is from a bag, it's organic chick starter from Tractor's Supply I tossed the bag, but I assume it wasn't expired.

Yeah, I heard it can get contagious! Which is why I separated the problem chick as soon as I saw her ripping feathers and eating them. I just wished I had noticed before she hurt 3 chicks.

I have been feeding them 1-2 egg yolks a day, will try the scrambled egg if that makes a differences.

They had 2 branches to climb on and always had some dry food to eat throughout the day.

I don;t have real grass here (we're in Arizona) but just dry stuff , but I have been giving them fresh spinach and grit.

Ctken, thanks about the tip about the fermented food, that is interesting. So the theory is that gobbling more food up at once would lead to less foraging around and more interest in engaging in undesirable behaviors? However, why would just one chick in particular be fixated on this pecking and eating feathers behavior while other chicks happily preferred digging, foraging and looking for tid-bits in the shaving most of the day?

Also, the article says that feather picking was more common among chickens in" large free-range systems," which doesn't make sense as they should be less bored? I am not sure if 16 is a large number as to making it particularly challenging deciding the pecking order.

Of all those possibilities, the only thing that I can think of is that perhaps living in Arizona, they were getting a bit hot, which I was concerned about, but I always kept an eye on them for signs of overheating, but never saw them panting or keeping their wings spread apart.

 

[Pork Pie]

Well, in these days it's been about 75 outside and 47 at night. I was planning to having them out beginning of this week, but we live in a rural area and our store has been out of fencing material and it's arriving tomorrow and everything should be put up shortly.

The chicks are 16 and we have been keeping them in a 6 foot x6 foot room. The feed is from a bag, it's organic chick starter from Tractor's Supply I tossed the bag, but I assume it wasn't expired.

Yeah, I heard it can get contagious! Which is why I separated the problem chick as soon as I saw her ripping feathers and eating them. I just wished I had noticed before she hurt 3 chicks.

I have been feeding them 1-2 egg yolks a day, will try the scrambled food.

They had 2 branches to climb on and always had some dry food to eat throughout the day.

I don;t have real grass here (we're in Arizona) but just dry stuff , but I have been giving them fresh spinach and grit.

It seems that you have things under control. Maybe you just have a nut-case, rogue chick!

 

[drumstick diva]

Plucking and eating feathers can often indicate the bird is lacking protein, if you feed eggs be sure to have them mashed or added to the food etc., so she doesn't realize she is eating an egg - otherwise that can launch an egg eater. Some folks go to a higher protein chicken feed, or add cat food.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I routinely feed eggs to all ages of chickens, scrambled, boiled and raw, without worrying about egg eating. They can't make the connection from scrambled eggs to an egg in the nest.

Your brooder might be a bit tight on space for their age.

Maybe try a different brand of feed.