WEIRD.... Pullet ate her feather???

[Bleenie]

I was out in the coop holding one of my Barred Rock pullets, and when I sat her back down there was a cute little striped down feather on my leg. I picked it up and was looking at it and she came up and grabbed it out of my fingers and ATE it! I thought she was just going to drop it like an inqusitive chicken would but she actually ate it

They all get good nutrition from their feed and they also get to free range everyday plus worms that we dig up for them all the time and oatmeal as a treat, they also get into the cows alfalfa everyday too. So why would she be eating her feathers?

She is probably the oldest(most mature anyway) of all my pullets. They are around 6 months(bad with dates) and they should start laying soon but her comb and wattles have gotten pretty red lately and she's calmer & likes being held, that's the only differences I have seen in her compared to the other 12.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Mine do it too. It doesn't indicate anything wrong with them I don't think. Just something they do!!

 

[Bleenie]

I hope you're right. It was just totally weird and I have never seen any of my other birds do it before, even the ducks.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Not to worry unless she eats them all the time. My 5 eat the occasional feather here and there, it's just another chicken quirk.