Tai & pin feather pulling - Bleeding.

[smfritch]

Some of my 3 month old girls are having their tail feathers and tail pin feathers bloodied. I think it may be some of the older birds doing it but I haven't been able to catch one in the act. I remove the bloodied bird, clean it up, stop the bleeding and return it to the flock the following day. Any thoughts on why it's happening????

 

[JewellFarm]

I have a backyard poultry magazine and it has an article in it about that. They theorize that it may be a lack of salt so it suggests adding salt to the water for a couple of days then clean water for 3 then salt water again. Also if the afflicted one is bleeding you should remove it from the others till healed a bit because the salty blood taste is what they are after. It is actually a form of cannibalism in chickens.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

I heard that it could be due to crowding or not having scratch to pick through.