Hello,
My family and I are new (as of 2 1/2 weeks) to Urban Chicken Keeping. We have three pullets about 10 - 12 weeks old. In pecking order, we have a white Delaware, Silver Lace Cochin, and Red Spotted Sussex. When we got them, the Cochin had her tail feathers pecked by her previous flock, but the people selling her said they'd grow back soon. I've been noticing now that the Delaware is continuing to peck (AND EAT!) her tail feathers and now the feathers of the Sussex. The Delaware is the "crazy" one of the bunch, my least favorite of the three, and is named "Dinney" because if she doesn't knock it off she'll be dinner. ;)
My questions are:
(1) What are the causes for feather pecking and eating?
I've read that pecking is from boredom, but they have my entire yard to roam now that they are adapted to their new home.
I've read that feather eating is a protein deficiency, but they have a very nice layers food with over 24% protein and plenty of supplement.
(2) What portions of food should I be giving them? I currently have their regular food out for them to eat at will, but also provide them with a couple handfuls of scratch (cracked corn) throughout the day when visiting them and with table scraps (mainly fruits, eg., melon rinds, apple slices/cores, berries, etc...) and bugs that I find in the garden. Is it possible I'm giving them too much supplement and therefore they aren't getting enough of the protein in their main food?
Thanks for any information you may have to offer!
New to Chickens - Couple Questions Please
Maybe separate the Delaware temporarily with a wire fence until the cochin's tail feathers grow back? My Delaware, Delphine, is also the top chicken among my 5 laying pullets. She did chase the Buff Orpington around for a few days when they were about 16 weeks, but then it settled down. It sounds like it is getting to be more of a habit than an issue of protein deficiency or boredom. May have started as simple pecking order--then because the cochin's tail already looked "strange" Dinney fixated on it and the problem escalated into feather picking.
Let us know what happens.
There are any number of reasons chickens peck each other...usually it's because they are crowded,bored, or overheated but they also kind of go "peck crazy" once they draw blood and can even kill the peck-ee. There are some chickens that are just plain mean. I would separate the one that has been getting pecked until she heals up and starts to grow feathers back (it should only take a couple weeks) and reintroduce her into your little flock, and there WILL be pecking at first. If the other chicken is still pecking her after the first couple days...well I can tell you that I would be serving chicken and dumplings for supper that night. I will not tolerate a bully in my flock. It's no fun raising sick, unhappy chickens and that is exactly what happens when you allow a bully in your flock. Add the pecked chicken back to the flock at night after the other chickens have settled in for the night and are sleeping...that way they just wake up and think the "new"chicken appeared in the night. Like I said, there should be some initial pecking to establish heirarchy but it should not go on past a couple days. One or two days is normal..anything beyond that is a problem.
I don't think I'd worry too much about overfeeding them supplement,.I throw everything I can lay hands on to my flock and they still devour their feed. Chickens are much smarter about eating than most other animals, even us humans. If they are low on protein, and they have free choice, they will eat the protein rich food available because their bodies guide them and they know how to listen. They may eat LESS commercial mash if you are giving them insects along with the other scraps...but that's because the insects are fulfilling their protein requirements.
Thank you for all the information. It was very helpful. I don't quite have it in me yet to kill a bird, plus she's not meaty enough... ~;-) so I was just joking about eating her. We have decided to find her a new home. I'm hoping that if she's introduced into an already well established flock with no hens with skin showing, she'll be fine. I just don't have the time for her when she's pecking the feathers out of BOTH of my other girls. I think what I'll do is in an effort not to be hasty, we'll wait a couple weeks after she's been replaced to allow Lacey's feathers to grow back in, then add a third pullet.
