Plucking feathers??? :(

[Chooky55]

I think one of my four chickens is being picked on by the others when they are in the coop/run. The others (I'm not sure which one is doing it) have been plucking feathers from her tail. I noticed this after I saw feathers in the run and that my girl's tail was looking a bit sparse. Does anyone know why they are doing it? and is there a way to stop them from doing this? I have had them for a month now and they are about 6 months old. I have yet to see them picking on my girl, but i have seen them pluck feathers from another chicken and eat them, while she was having a dust bath.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I'm a novice owner and this is my first flock.

 

[Judy]

Feather picking is usually felt to be due to either too little protein in the diet or too little space / boredom. It could be that the stress of their move contributed,as well. Once well established, it can be a very difficult habit to break.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/back-to-basic-living-feather-picking-plucking-and-cannibalism

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

 

[Chooky55]

Thanks. So if I include more protein in the diet, would they be likely to stop? If so, what kind of foods should i be giving them?
I am also looking in to ways to entertain them when they are in the run. I found some cool ideas on the site that I will be trying They get let out to free range twice a day as well.

 

[Judy]

I feel that chicken feeds should really have a source of animal protein (fish meal, etc.) but this is becoming less and less common. chickens are certainly not naturally vegetarian; they eat every bug they can catch. But vegetable protein is better than nothing. Many people feed their chickens mealworms, for one because they love them. Meat scraps from your table are good, if they can swallow the pieces without a problem. Less expensive sources at the store are canned mackerel or the carcass or bone from a roast, or roast chicken or turkey.. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) are often touted as a snack, partly for their protein content, but as far as I can find, it's only about 15% which is little or no better than most feeds. It does give you a snack to use in place of scratch, though. Most scratch mixes are quite low in protein. Another good source of vegetable protein is game bird feed. You coud actually switch to it for a while, or mix some into their regular feed.

One way that their diet can get protein deficient is actually by accident, in giving a lot of "treats' that don't have protein, thus diluting the overall protein intake. Many people give greens, fruit and veggie peelings, etc. which help distract them and help with boredom, and of course they love eating many of these foods -- but it's good to keep in mind that most "treats" are not high in protein. Of course, chickens don't require a treat at all, but many owners take a lot of pleasure in giving them, as well as using them to train the birds to come when called.

HERE is BYC's treats chart., in case you haven't found it and it can be of some use to you. Note the comment about cat food at the bottom.

 

[Chooky55]

THANK YOU!!! That is so helpful. i will give them a go and let you know if there is any improvement