Pullets eating each other’s bum feathers

[Wyorp Rock]

Just got back from a long weekend getaway and noticed my Easter Egger has a bare patch and a few little scans on her thigh covered by her wing. Then yesterday I noticed my blue Australop and blrw plucking and eating bum feathers from the other girls.

My first though was low protein and I need more roosts. I threw out some meal worms in hopes to stop it as of now. The feed I have them on is 16% protein from Home Grown. Any suggestions for a 19 or higher feed that is readily available?

I had removed the roosts because when my first bird started laying she would lay from a high roost and break the eggs. Now all consistently laying in the boxes I think it’s tome to put them back up

Yes, higher protein feed...and some animal protein supplements(mealworms or canned fish can be less in fat, not to mention way less expensive).
I'd skip the blukote....it won't stop them from pecking, can actually attract pecking and over preening, and is a mess.

Is your coop/run crowded?
Sometimes feather picking becomes a habit and an entertainment.
I've watched EE's stand still and pluck each others beards right off.

Good question @aart how much space?
The OP's first thoughts ran to protein and needing more roosts.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

Yes, higher protein feed...and some animal protein supplements(mealworms or canned fish can be less in fat, not to mention way less expensive).
I'd skip the blukote....it won't stop them from pecking, can actually attract pecking and over preening, and is a mess.

Is your coop/run crowded?
Sometimes feather picking becomes a habit and an entertainment.
I've watched EE's stand still and pluck each others beards right off.

The other half just picked up a 20% flock raiser from tsc. Hopefully this will do the trick.

As far as crowding goes I have 5 birds in a 4x8 foot print run. I have a lot of vertical space that isn’t currently being used efficiently at the moment. I had a high roost in the run but I also had an unwanted shelf at the top that everyone was crowding on and trying to roost at night on that I have since fixed. So today the roost will return.

The coop has one low roost at the moment because the high roost was where the birds first started layin from and breaking their eggs. So a second higher roost will return to the coop today as well.

Any other “enrichment” ideas? I know they don’t get out enough because it’s winter and I’m not home for many daylight hours.

 

[imnukensc]

32 sq ft in the run isn't big enough for 5 hens and especially so if they don't free range most of the time. Vertical space doesn't really factor in too much as far as the chickens go, but it's nice to have it for humans to get into it. How big is the coop?

 

[Trux]

I feed both layer 16% and a grower 19%. Have 2 feeders so one kind in each.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

32 sq ft in the run isn't big enough for 5 hens and especially so if they don't free range most of the time. Vertical space doesn't really factor in too much as far as the chickens go, but it's nice to have it for humans to get into it. How big is the coop?

The coop is 4x4.

 

[aart]

Pretty tight space.
Is the run weather proof?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

As far as crowding goes I have 5 birds in a 4x8 foot print run. I have a lot of vertical space that isn’t currently being used efficiently at the moment.

Any other “enrichment” ideas? I know they don’t get out enough because it’s winter and I’m not home for many daylight hours.

The coop is 4x4.

So your run is 4X8 and the coop portion is 4X4?
I agree, that's not a lot of space for 5 birds. Anyway you can expand your run space?
Photos may help - where is the food/water kept?

Enrichment - with not a lot of space...depending on how it's set-up - a perch in the corner of the run, straw with a small amount of scratch tossed in for them to dig through, you could also rake up leaves/pineneedles and do the same thing, if there is room...hang up a small cabbage, apple, etc. for them to peck at.

Vertical space is not really space, chickens have to jump, so even with a shelf/roost up high, how much room do they have to jump down. My coop is 12' long - some of my hens take that whole length to fly from the roost - some of the heavier gals really could use more....

Please don't take any of this as criticism, all of this is just suggestions/ideas. When it comes to chickens more space is better, but sometimes you have to work with what you have, so we will try to help you find the best solution that fits your situation.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

Here is the coop. I agree the space is a little tight. I was having some rat issues and stopped putting scratch on the floor of the run but I just added a hardware cloth skirt yesterday so I should be able to start that again. Food and water are hanging in the run to free up space in the coop(not pictured this was taken before I moved them)

 

[Redhead Rae]

I would put up a 4ft fence without a top around the coop and you can let them out on nice days.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

I’ve been thinking of a solution to give them more outdoor space. I have a side yard on the same side as the coop which is on my north side and I don’t use for anything. I’m thinking of creating a tube or tunnel to the side yard and then gating it off. This would create an extra “run” that would be pretty predator resistant.