I purchased 95 Wellsumer chicks this year from my favorite hatchery. Though they arrived in great condition without a single dead chick- they started eating feathers from day one. My nutritionist told me that this is because the mothers's were on a deficent ration. For my rare breeds and wild birds I try and feed the highest quality nutrition possible for egg laying and to both sexes as this is when new feather cells are in their first phase of development. Moulting doesn't take place until those feather cells are developed enough to push the old feathers out. Optimal nutrition makes for optimal plumage and a shorter moulting period as well. I'd cut out any and all soy in the diet of the breeder and supplement with nuts and fish protein. The idea is to produce the best egg yolks for the embryos to develop on. If the Wellsumers had been on an optimal diet I wouldn't have ended up with a bunch of feather pickers. Even though they're on the best feed on the market and with a whole farm to roam on, they'll still pick up a feather and chase each other around like its candy. Right now whole pumpkins seem to be replacing this urge. Next year I think I'll make sure that there is melon out for the next batch of hatchery chicks from day one.