Feather pecking

The habit of feather pecking in chickens is more often than not, down to the conditions that the chickens are kept in but I wondered if people realised that this is not always the case and that it can also be an inherited trait in some strains of chickens.

I say this for the following reason. I've kept my particular breed of chickens  for forty something years with hardly a problem. I have a friend however who has particular strains of the same breed which has massive problems every year. I've always put this down to his husbandry or lack of it.
A couple of years ago I had some of his birds and yes ! You've guessed it, every brood with any of his blood in it has feather pecked this year, whilst all my own stock kept in identical conditions havent.

I've enquired with other people who have had birds of my friends strain and in the main they have experienced the same problems.

I only keep exceptional birds Munty :roll:  :roll:  :roll:        I already have plans a foot to weed the lot out.

I keep really good records, so I know exactly where that blood has gone thank goodness.

I'm convinced that its some how got into their genetic make up. I know people who keep  the same strains of chickens, in different parts of the country and they have the same problems with them.

Nah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll just eat em That should condition them

Well, some of my chicks are STILL tail pecking.  They are now in FOUR brooders, so not too crowded, they are not too cold, and not too warm.  They have chick crumb ad lib and fresh water 2 or 3 times a day.  

And Stonehead who left a comment on my blog says his chooks are totally free range, and many of them still do it too!

So, are they genetically inadequate too?? lol