Pullet Pulling out breast feathers

SarahDawn

In the Brooder
Sep 26, 2020
19
7
19
Hi there,

My black Austrolorp's has been plucking her breast feathers out. A couple weeks ago she came down with sour crop and I noticed she threw up some feathers. She made a full recovery but lately I noticed her throwing up again and her crop seems full of fluid. I tried clearing her crop by massing it and turning her upside down. a feather came up and it was brown stomach contents.

Other than the issues I mentioned above, she seems overall lively and walking around with the flock, foraging, and getting along fine. she should be laying soon as well. She's over 20 weeks.

Anyone know what this girl is going through?
 
Sarah I agree with the others. Feathers are almost all protein. Something I do in the fall & winter is feed a meatbird crumble to my layers. 20-22% protein. It helps with the molt.
Save egg shells to feed back to them for calcium and offer oyster shell since meatbird feed doesn't have the calcium layers need.
 
Yes more protein I agree with black_cat, also really any bugs she can get a hold of so foraging?
You can collect bugs like Japanese beetles when they are abundant and store them in the freezer. I use a container like cottage cheese. Cut an X on the lid to shove them in. Storage is great if you have a vacuum sealer.
 
Thanks for your replies!

She is on grower feed and eats the ducks grower pellets too which is why I didn't think it was low protein. I'll cook her some scrambled eggs tomorrow and maybe get plain greek yogurt with added protein.

Do you think it is because she will be laying soon that her body is requiring more than the usual amount of protein from the feed?
 
Thanks for your replies!

She is on grower feed and eats the ducks grower pellets too which is why I didn't think it was low protein. I'll cook her some scrambled eggs tomorrow and maybe get plain greek yogurt with added protein.

Do you think it is because she will be laying soon that her body is requiring more than the usual amount of protein from the feed?
Breast plucking is pretty typical for a broody. Does she spend alot of time in the nest? Fluffed up and the leave me alone squawk?
 

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