Topic of the Week - Feather Pecking/Eating

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The only time I had a real problem was a sex link that would beck off and eat the beard feathers of my Amercauna. Every year! My Amercauna always looked so bad. She would calmly sit there while her beard was pecked off, so it wasn’t distressful to her. It never stopped until the sex link died.

I am not a fan of sex links, seems they are always making troubles, at least for me they did.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I am not a fan of sex links, seems they are always making troubles, at least for me they did.

I liked my sex links ok. Not my favorite. My Barred Rock was amazing and the only chicken my dog ever got. She was just too adventurous which also made her interesting. Every night when I went out to close the coop she would hop out to be petted and held. I miss that little chicken. Speckle was her name. I have a very tame Easter Egger that’s sweet. I have a silver Wyandotte that’s been in sick bay for days now with diarrhea and prolapse. She was very skiddish, but days in sick bay has brought her around to affectionate, I think.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I liked my sex links ok. Not my favorite. My Barred Rock was amazing and the only chicken my dog ever got. She was just too adventurous which also made her interesting. Every night when I went out to close the coop she would hop out to be petted and held. I miss that little chicken. Speckle was her name. I have a very tame Easter Egger that’s sweet. I have a silver Wyandotte that’s been in sick bay for days now with diarrhea and prolapse. She was very skiddish, but days in sick bay has brought her around to affectionate, I think.

I have never had luck fixing a prolapse. Hopefully you are having better luck.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I have never had luck fixing a prolapse. Hopefully you are having better luck.

That’s what I have read. Have to get the diarrhea under control. Washing her bottom at night and applying Cordisone. They say it’s better than Prep H. One post was successful with honey. I’m keeping it dark hoping she’ll quit laying, but she’s popping them out. Giving her FF, SavAChick in her water and a little yogurt each day. She won’t eat scrambled eggs. But, she has a great appetite. I’ve never had a chicken in sick bay this long, they either get well or die. I am still hoping. I read that even if the prolapse retreats, you have to follow them closely because they tend to relapse, and we all know what other chickens do to red, moist flesh. All I can do is try and hope. It’s my first prolapse. Don’t know if the prolapse caused the diarrhea or the diarrhea caused the prolapse, or if they are even connected.

 

[Silexian]

I had a delay in finishing a coop for some chicks that I hatched. So they had to stay in the brooder longer than anticipated. By being overcrowded, they started picking each other. As soon as I moved them to the new coop with adequate space. The behavior stopped.

 

[Show Sebright]

My birds will pick feathers from weak birds, or if they are molting. They are fair a high protein diet that stops them from picking as much as before. I have the no peck cream from tractor supply if they get open patches. It is purple and dies the birds so I avoid using it on my white birds.

 

[CreveChris]

Am only posting as I very recently observed some of this behavior.
I think there can be multiple causes, that can be hard to pinpoint and 'treat'.
After crowding stress and aggression, I think lack of animal protein I think may be one of the major causes.

Have had several bearded/muffed birds lose those facial feathers.
This winter I have more birds than I should in the space that I have in the climate I live in, so some crowding stress maybe-tho no real violence that I have seen. I also have switched back to a 'vegetarian' feed and have not been providing as much meat scraps as usual. I do use a higher protein crumble and they get about 18% with roughly figuring in the other foods they get.

A couple birds have bare throats and I observed the 'cause' first hand yesterday.
Stood and watched 2 hens calmly peck and pull feathers off another's neck and face while she also stood calmly and allowed it. I had suspected this was happening due to her bare throat and missing beard/muff, but this was the first time I witnessed it first hand.

Don't know exactly why, but will be providing them some animal protein asap.

Aw, poor dear!

We've got a beard picker, too, and her favorite sister no longer sleeps with her because the beardless girl is getting new feathers in and it probably hurts to have them pulled out.

Overactive preening is not a problem with any of my other hens. It's frustrating because the picker is one of the top of tge flock, a good breeding hen, and one of the rooster's favorites.

 

[Fontaine]

Is it Purina Flock Raiser you feed? I want to switch from TSC Dumore to a better quality food.( I’ve been reading BYC that it’s not that great) I have 10 15 mos old hens. 7 are laying and 3 are molting and stopped laying. Is there a good feed that will work for both? Also I will be introducing new chicks in about 4 mos. can they all eat the same food since they will eventually all be together? They free range within about an acre of woods,sand,dirt,grass. Fenced. We live in Florida so lots of bugs! I’ve looked at so many products but don’t really know what to look for. A previous thread mentioned all flock. I didn’t know if that was a specific brand .I’m totally confused and would really appreciate help. Thanks!

 

[Fontaine]

I don’t know how to navigate this site well. I thought I was replying to aart!

 

[aart]

Is it Purina Flock Raiser you feed? I want to switch from TSC Dumore to a better quality food.( I’ve been reading BYC that it’s not that great) I have 10 15 mos old hens. 7 are laying and 3 are molting and stopped laying. Is there a good feed that will work for both? Also I will be introducing new chicks in about 4 mos. can they all eat the same food since they will eventually all be together? They free range within about an acre of woods,sand,dirt,grass. Fenced. We live in Florida so lots of bugs! I’ve looked at so many products but don’t really know what to look for. A previous thread mentioned all flock. I didn’t know if that was a specific brand .I’m totally confused and would really appreciate help. Thanks!

Yes.

I don’t know how to navigate this site well. I thought I was replying to aart!

Gotta hit the 'quote' button.