What I am learning about feather picking and cannibalism

[mamarosa]

I have not posted in awhile, I am new at raising chickens
I have 25 and one rooster. they have a large area and I too
let them free range in the backyard. I started noticing the
pecking during our frigid michigan winter. In feb I asked about
this problem and started increasing their protein and bought
chiken saddles. This helped for awhile but now I have about
20 out of 25 with bare bottoms. Mr Roo also in now taking
a hit. Thus far no blood, but redden bottoms and missing
feathers. Could this also be a sign of molting????
The group will be 1yr in June. Any suggestions would be helpful
I can only say that this website is awesome especially for someone like me. Thanks Penny for all your research I will
be looking forward to all your postings. Thanks to all

 

[basicliving]

Hi Mamarosa - weather that keeps them in the coop, or huddled together out side, seems to really exasperate the problem because they tend to be so close together for long periods of time.

If their rears are bald and red, it sounds like feather picking. Unfortunately, the behavior can become habit, so even if they are free ranging, it may continue until they break the habit. Have you tried slathering pine tar on their bottoms? Apply it liberally. I had good success using it - even though I hated using it. It is really messy. I recommend wearing rubber gloves to keep it off your hands. If you can use the pine tar on their bottoms and keep it on them for a week or so while allowing them to free range, I think it will likely break the habit. If it begins again, watch your flock closely to see if you can identify one or two instigators of the feather picking. It may come down to a decision of culling one or two.

Hope that helps - and I wish you the very best of luck. I know how frustrating and discouraging it is to deal with this issue.

Penny

 

[mamarosa]

Thanks Basicliving
I am off to the nearest Farm Elevator to get some
flock blocks and pine tar. It has been so much fun
to have chickens in the city and have fresh eggs for
my family. They are pretty easy to care for and
they are funny to watch especially when they run
I just feel bad that they have started to really peck
at each other, even Mr. Roo is starting to miss feathers
will let you know how this works out....
thanks so much Penny!!!

 

[Lucy4]

This post was exactly what I was looking for... thanks so much. My sweetest hen had all her tail feathers picked out this morning, poor girl. I'm off to the feed store for flock block. Someone told me that if it's mites, that the hens will pick at their own tail feathers. (And she said DE would help.) What is the liklihood of mites... if the other girls' tails are fine, it's probably not the problem, right?

Thanks.

 

[basicliving]

Bygones75 - The feather picking in my flock was aimed at only 1 chicken - my rooster. Without seeing your hen, it's hard to say what is causing this. Are the feathers broken off at all, or completely pulled out? If it's mites, it is extremely unlikely that she would be the only one affected.

I'd advise observing them all very closely. Make sure they have plenty of coop and run space and things to keep them busy in both.

Best of luck!
Penny

 

[Lucy4]

Thanks, Penny.

No, whole feathers are being completely picked out, not broken off. What sort of difference does that make?

They have about 4 sq ft each in the coop, 10 sq ft each in the run. They normally free range for an hour a day, but I'm going to increase that as much as I can.

I'll take a pic of her later. She's an Ameraucana, so she had that beautiful long tail. Not anymore.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[basicliving]

I can only base my responses on my experience with my flock and this issue, and what I've read.

With my flock, it started with the tail feathers being broken off on one rooster. It eventually progressed to whole feathers being plucked out.

From your post, it sounds like your hen was fine one day, and the next day was missing all her tail feathers? Did it happen overnight, in the coop?

Missing that many tail feathers over night, it almost sounds like some sort of attack to me. Is it possible something could have grabbed her by the tail feathers? Did you find a bunch of tail feathers in one spot?

I may have mis-read your post. And it's possible that this is indeed feather picking in your flock.

I would definitely observe them during the day. Even people who think it is only happening in the coop, typically discover the behavior while the chickens are outside as well.

I know how frustrating these types of issues can be. Before you can remedy it, you need to verify exactly what is going on. If it is feather picking, there is a good chance you can stop the behavior. It will take a little work, but it can be done.

 

[Lucy4]

Thank you for your response.

Yes, it happened over 24 hours. I noticed several of her tail feathers in a corner of the run when I opened up the coop in the morning (so I guess it happened the evening before and I missed it). I came back mid-day and most of the rest of the tail feathers were in the same place. I don't think something could have grabbed at her: it's double hardware cloth there.

I've been watching them this morning. Picked up the flock block; they love it, and it's been entertaining them. I will let them free range most of the afternoon as well. No feather picking behaviors noticed, but I will keep watch.

Thanks again,

 

[Peregrine]

What a great thread! Thank you for doing all of this research for us all--I love having all of this information in one place!

Everything I've read speaks of pecking around the tail area. What about around the head? I came home from shopping this morning to find my 10-week-old buff orfington dead in the run. Her head and neck were pecked to pieces. She was never well liked by the 5 other 12-week-old EE/RIR mix (I think:/). They would chase her around the run because she was the smallest, especially one of the roos. (I have, I believe, three roos and now 2 pullets. The smallest roo is the one who always chased her the most. I haven't had a chance to exchange them yet for some pullets. Could too many roos have contributed to the problem?)

I don't see any holes in the fencing, so the culpret must have come from the inside. I only have a 6' X6' run right now; still in the process of building a coop. I let them out for a little "recess" almost every day. This happened all of a sudden. I've seen no other signs of cannibalism, just chasing, but no catching.

It is SO nice to know that there are other options aside from debeaking. I just feel terrible that my cute chickies could have done something so terrible. I've seen an increase of long feathers around the run; is this a precurser? What should I keep my eyes open for?

I'm a little worried; I'm going away for 5 days and the lady feeding my pets won't be letting them out. Boredom sounds like a BIG issue. I don't have time to get a flock block, but someone mentioned hanging apples in the run--I am going to try that. I sure hope it works!

 

[basicliving]

Is your run covered? It really sounds like a predator got her - perhaps a hawk? Although I have heard from others that once a chicken goes down, the other chickens will peck/eat them.

Either way, until you can spend some time observing them, you won't know if you have an issue within the flock. Since you are going out of town, I would definitely hang apples/cabbage around the run to keep them busy. If the run is not covered, you may want to get that done before you leave. I would also suggest covering the run floor with leaves/mown grass/etc. and have the lady watching them sprinkle feed/snacks over the leaves to keep them busy scratching for it.