What I am learning about feather picking and cannibalism

[Peregrine]

Yes, my run is covered, and it is a tractor, so they always have fun stuff to hunt for in the grass. Maybe the chick died of something else (although it seemed perfectly healthy) and the other chicks pecked at it. A friend of mine had her chickens in a chain-link fenced area, and she said that racoons would come and grab a chicken through the fence, then just eat the head, because that was all they could fit through the fence. I was hoping the chicken wire I used was small enough to prevent that, but maybe something got in anyway, just enough to kill the chick.

I did what you said and observed them, and the remaining chicks seem normal--no agression asside from some ruffled feathers between the roos, no bloody tails (or heads), so I am really at a loss. I hung an apple and lettuce head center in the run today, and they totally ignored both. Perhaps in the morning they will be pecked at.

Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STARTING THIS THREAD! And thank you for all of your time and research and advice. I'll keep you posted! (No pun intended!)

 

[Peregrine]

I just talked with a friend who helped get me started with this whole chicken thing (

) and she said the chick might have become dehydrated and died, and then the other chicks pecked at the dead body. That's a possibility, because I noticed hat the waterer was dry. I had no idea chickens could become dehydrated so quickly. I will be MUCH more careful in the future!

 

[charleneap1]

Thanks for a very interesting and informative article, I am virtually desperate to find a way to stop my hens from doing this to each other. A couple of days ago I transferred my young pullets (24 Orps and five Cornish Cross) to the larger hen house from the brooder and yard and was just sick when I went back to check on them in the evening and found that three of the Cornish Cross had been pecked raw! We immediately separated all of the pecked gals and returned them to the brooder. I remember that when my Grandmother and Mother raised chickens and when they started pecking each other they nipped the tips of the top portion of their beaks. I was worried about doing this for fear that I would hurt them but I used a good light and very sharp scissors and not a single one was cut deeply enough to cause bleeding, so I think they are going to be fine and this morning there was no more evidence of pecking. However. . . .I need to know what the cause was for it in the beginning and do something to resolve that issue. Of the three gals that we separated, one of them died during the night. That, to me, was a pretty severe pecking!! The yard they are in is huge so space is really not a problem, they have two different types of food and plenty of fresh water plus we scatter feed into the yard for them to scratch for. We had been letting the older hens free range during the day and they were often seen at the brooder fence checking out the new chickens so I did not think there was going to be a problem there when we were ready to transfer the new pullets to the hen house. Is this a dietary issue? I am still searching for answers and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. CAT

 

[basicliving]

It's the older girls doing the picking, correct? What are the breeds of the older girls? Can you identify which one(s) are primarily doing this?

There is a difference between pecking and feather picking. Is the area being picked mainly around the vent? Or is it somewhere else on the body. If you are introducing new pullets to an existing flock, it could be pecking, rather than feather picking/cannibalism. Feather picking typically focuses on the vent area.

You say they are getting two types of feed - what types of feed are those?

Some do believe that feather picking/cannibalism can be linked to inadequate protein in the diet. If it is focused in the vent area, try upping the protein. Limit diet to feed and add in cooked meat, yogurt, boiled eggs, etc. If the damage is to other parts of the body, it is likely pecking due to the introduction of the pullets to the existing flock. There are other measures for that.

If you could answer the questions in this post, it would better help us to help you.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I am having a similar problem. It just started when I moved the chicks into a large brooder.

In one day they have managed to peck a large spot semi-bloody in my Roo's back.

I hear alot about finding the culprit and culling.

May I ask if any of you have considered debeaking rather than culling.

It may be cruel, but culling might lose you a good bird.

Any thoughts?

 

[pontoosuc]

Just read through this entire thread. What a lot of great information!

I'm seeing similar behavior in my flock of 16 hens, no roos but on the back, just
above the tail start. First 3 buttercups, now the dominiques.

Yes, this all started with the colder weather etc.

Time to hang the cabbages, put in the flock block, and continue throwing the BOSS
into the coop pine shavings floor.

Thanks everybody.

 

[chkn]

I have been cozying up my hen house and run with leaves and shavings and using plenty of scratch. I'm putting on a roof in the run for the rain and partial walls to provide a wind break. They seem to have an improved attitude towards each other. I've had one hen being picked on and things seem to be improving for her. So I guess what I'm saying is that your results jibe with mine; I just didn't know about how it all gets started. Yes, I've seen that preening start out 'lovingly' with an old rooster of mine too. Pretty soon I had to get him out of there!

 

[azygous]

Thanks so much for resurrecting this thread! There's some very valuable experience and information here! I'm bookmarking it!

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

I have to say that this thread might have saved several of our chickens, although we don't have bare bottoms we have some serious holes right near some of our hens vents and one is in a lot of pain, I know one of the chickens that's doing it but I don't know whose making the enormous holes . We will promptly be separating her, this is all very recent and I'm pretty sure it started because we recently started a routine of keeping them in the coop for the first half of the day D: I hope this thread gets stickied, because I bet there are a lot more cases like these ones out there and the people just don't consider cannibalism... I sure didn't.

 

[iluvmichickens]

I love this thread! The problem I have is that a few of my chickens have broken feathers around their necks. So strange. And the feathers almost look twisted. Does anyone know if this is a result from feather picking? I noticed it first on one of my BO's then on a few of the others. I never see them picking on each other. Humm...