Pullet eating her own poo and feathers, is this normal?

[lil_nyixx]

Hey people of BYC!

So a little backstory on Scamp, I got her on Nov. 13 and she has always been odd. She had a broken beak 1 day after being born (my stores all have day old chicks) and I was thinking it was from the egg, maybe cutting her beak slightly. But she healed quickly from it.

She was always trying to fly but when she found a way to escape from her brooder she would fall out of her brooder and eating usual things like paper and string. I know this might be because she curious, and young but wouldn’t she stop anyway from eating it because it wouldn’t taste that good?

A week later she was always falling over and eating her wood chips that I place for bedding in her brooder. I then switched them out for puppy pads, yes you may have to clean them more frequently but it stopped her from eating the wood chips.

A few minutes ago I saw her eating her own feces and feathers. I usually see my girls shake their head and wipe their beaks when tasting poo and never saw them eat a whole feather but she doesn’t and just eats it. She has feed and clean water every other day and Im not sure if this behavior is normal.

Any ideas?

 

[aart]

How old is she?
What are you providing for feed?
Is she the only chick?
Pics of beak and brooder will help here.

 

[Alyssa-Bee]

Hm. How odd. Sometimes chickens will eat feathers during their molt for protein, but it seems that feathers is not the only weird thing she is eating. I wish you luck!

 

[Laura_BelgianBantams_63]

Eating their own poop and/or wood shavings can lead to coccidiosis. Keep an eye out.

 

[lil_nyixx]

How old is she?
What are you providing for feed?
Is she the only chick?
Pics of beak and brooder will help here.

Hm. How odd. Sometimes chickens will eat feathers during their molt for protein, but it seems that feathers is not the only weird thing she is eating. I wish you luck!

She’s 7 weeks old and doesn’t look like she’s molting. I also give her organic chick feed with some mealworms in it for protein.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

My chickens have often eaten feathers, so I wouldn't worry about that. However, eating poop isn't good. I apologize, I don't really have a solution for that.

Once one of my ladies ate her sister's barf. That's about the weirdest thing I've seen happen, and only once.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

She’s 7 weeks old and doesn’t look like she’s molting. I also give her organic chick feed with some mealworms in it for protein.

She wouldn't be molting- they start after about a year. Again, don't worry about the feather eating unless you're finding bald spots from pecking them out (on her or the others).

 

[lil_nyixx]

How old is she?
What are you providing for feed?
Is she the only chick?
Pics of beak and brooder will help here.

she is 7 weeks and is the only chick in the brooder really right now but I do have two more girls outside but Im not letting her out until around 16 weeks because my state gets below 20* degrees or lower in the winter so I wanna make sure she’s a good age before going out permanently.
just a heads up i changed the woodchips back since she isn’t eating them anymore (sat up all night to make sure)

 

[aart]

I also give her organic chick feed with some mealworms in it for protein.

I hope you are giving some chick sized grit to go along with those meal worms.
Chick starter should have plenty of protein(~20%)

the only chick in the brooder

She may be stressed being alone.

She wouldn't be molting- they start after about a year.

Definitely could be molting.
Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She may be stressed being alone.

x2. Absolutely no reason to keep her isolated for 16 weeks... she's well old enough to be outside and needs to start learning to be a chicken and a flock member. I'd start weaning her off heat (if you haven't already) and start setting up, if needed, to integrate.