I had some bantam roosters that tore up the backs of my standard hens. i got rid of the bantams and now my hens are regrowing their feathers. The problem is that the hens that are the worst need more protein and in turn are picking the feathers off of my other hens and making them bleed. I need to know what to feed them to give them more protein but still be able to get eggs, something freechoice so that the chickens that need it can get as much as they need and the well feathered hens won't eat too much of it. Thankyou, Rockwater Farm
Check your protein percentages on your feed. Some grower feeds have higher protein amounts. You can also give them some cat food in limited quantities, leftover meats (ground up) from your dinner table, plain yogurt, hard boiled eggs, meal worms, sunflower seeds and nuts. Unfortunately, your hens may not re-grow the majority of their feathers until after they go through a molt. Good luck.
I agree with CMV. Layer crumbles are normally 16% protein. Gamebird crumbles are 21% protein. Giving anything with higher protein to chickens should be a temporary solution to a problem and not permanent. CMV is correct in that they wont get most of their feathers back til the first molt.
