Question about friendly pecking.

[Darius123]

Hi! So i just managed to rehome some of my roosters. At the moment i have 2 roosters and 20 hens and i ve noticed something strage.
One of my roosters is a brahma and like every brahma rooster has a huge neck feathers. He is just staying there letting the hens peck at his neck feathers until he bleeds, same for my other rooster but he is pecked at the tail. They have enough space, and there is no fighting among them. What is the cause? Maybe it be some kind of deficiency of some sort?

 

[WIchickMama]

They might need more calcium, which if deficient can lead to feather picking. Other than that, I am not sure

 

[cherrynberry]

They might need more calcium, which if deficient can lead to feather picking. Other than that, I am not sure

I always thought it was a protein deficiency. Feathers have a lot of calcium?

 

[aart]

I think it's fairly common behavior....over-preening.
Can start with sloppy eaters having food stuck on the neck feathers.

 

[sourland]

I think it's fairly common behavior....over-preening.
Can start with sloppy eaters having food stuck on the neck feathers.

And escalates when birds are closely confined as during winter conditions.

 

[WIchickMama]

I always thought it was a protein deficiency. Feathers have a lot of calcium?

I was told from our Feed Store lady calcium, but you are probably more educated in the world of chickens than she is