feather plucking

[hawthorns]

i have 5 hens they have all plucked feathers from each other so they were al fitted with bumper bits. this method worked for a while but now they have all started doing it again any ideas on how to stop this nightmare continuing.

[yeti]

hi there,best i found was stockholm tar sprayed on to the area that should seize all pecking,where do you keep them?run?or run and house? i only ask because sometimes feather pecking is caused by boredom.

[RichmondHens]

Are they just plucking the feathers out or eating them too? This is a sign of insufficient protein in the diet - feeding too much corn/treats for instance. They should have layers pellets as their main source of food.

Other than that I agree with Yeti that boredom is a common cause for pecking. Do they have sufficient space? You don't say how/where you keep them.

[Flummery]

You can up the protein for a bit to see if it helps. Some recommend cat food. I assume mealworms are protein rich too - although they are also fat rich!

[hawthorns]

i have them in a run 16ft by 5ft and is 6ft high. i have just given them some more room to double their space. they eat layers pellets and get 2 handfulls of corn a day. they also get an apple or some broccoli stems occassionally. when they dust bathe thats when the feather plucking is the worse.they eat them aswell.

[yeti]

to be honest i had the same problem when i had big chickens , im pretty sure it was bordom.mine were eating the feathers too,i was also feeding them similar to what you are.i used the stockholm tar and it cured the problem,but they never looked quite right. then i decided to give them to a friend who had alot more room than i could offer them. then i came across bantams , alot more civilised than big chooks( i find anyway) can roam the garden without the worry of escape aslong as you have some sort of fence(only needs to be about 3 to4 foot high) had no feather pecking , and they dont wreck the garden.

[hawthorns]

ive been doing abit of research online. im starting to think it could be a mixture of boredom and the diet. ive extended the run and i think i will reduce the corn down to half a handful. mite try the dried cat food

[yeti]

yeah,give that a go , let me know how you get on....

[BUFFS]

ive been doing abit of research online. im starting to think it could be a mixture of boredom and the diet. ive extended the run and i think i will reduce the corn down to half a handful. mite try the dried cat food

i saw what you said about boredom and after talking to various people,i now hang carrots/cabbage etc about 6/8ins too high for them to peck,they now spend hours jumping after what they used to peck for 10 mins,have put some up in their free-range area,busy chooks are quieter chooks as well,when i hear them now ,i know that they want to go back for egglaying or a rest,doesnt seem to do egglaying any harm either,at the moment getting 7 eggs from 7 birds,dont know if it will last,but its been 2 weeks now..

[yeti]

thats good laying!!!

[BUFFS]

thats good laying!!!

thats also good birds,did 3 months reading up on here before i got chooks and started with just 4,got the hang of the basics before getting too many,now have 7 avian comediens who keep me smiling..

[yeti]

i have 6 bantams 2 cocks and 4 hens,they get free access to the garden but get shut away at nite,would like a couple more hens when i decide which ones!! have to shut the pop hole at night because my neighbour lost to of his ornamental pheasants to an escaped ferret!!! so caution is a must!!

[Flummery]

If they do it most when dust-bathing, have you cheked for mites or lice? They could be itrritating them into pulling their feathers.

[hawthorns]

they are not self plucking

[Flummery]

Oooh, dunno then?