Pulling Own Feathers?

[elizardbreath]

Hi. I'm new here and need some help...

I have a BSL who appears to be pulling out her own feathers. I haven't actually seen her do it, but each morning, under her roosting spot, there is a pile of feathers. She's been treated for lice / mites and I've checked her skin and it does not look inflamed. She does have what looks like a scab on her chest where many feathers are gone. (It is a yellowish scab not a bloody one. And it's old and starting to peel around the edges.) Also I can see new feathers growing in.

I have three hens: the BSL, an Isa Brown and a SLW in a 5 x 5 coop with a 10 X 10 run. Two roosts - one on each side of the coop. BSL always roosts in the same spot - at one end of a roost with the IB on the other.

She is the biggest bird in the flock. She gets along well and often sits with the SLW. The IB is a poult and the smallest bird in the group - she often avoids the other two larger birds.

Feeding layer crumbles with veg and bread kitchen scraps along with occasional egg shells, meal worms and scratch.

Just got the girls from a friend two weeks ago. The picture shows a typical morning. Any suggestions or ideas for me? Thanks!

 

[diana507]

How old is she?

 

[elizardbreath]

I can't give you an exact age, since I just got her two weeks ago. But using the fingers between the pelvic bones test, I can easily get two fingers in between. My friend told me she was laying before she left their barn, but she hasn't given any eggs since I got her. We chalked it up to the stress of moving...

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

Sometimes a broody hen will pluck her own feathers. Usually while sitting in the nest,, they use the feathers to line the nest,, but I have had some do it while roosting as they start getting "in the mood" I have one blue cochin who is so bad she nearly de-nudes herself she plucks so many and one of hardest to break from being broody.
Stress can be another thing that causes feather pulling,, the recent move and being mixed with new birds she doesn't know may have caused that.

 

[elizardbreath]

She knows the other two birds. They moved together.

 

[newmarch2014]

3 of my 4 hens that were a year in march pulled out a huge patch of breast feathers out, none in the nest

I chalked it up to inexperienced thoughts of broodiness. I did have to kick the Orps out of the nest a couple times but no committed broodiness. I think they just had the inkling but not the whole instinct.