Feather eating

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mintymoos

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  • Location: south yorkshire
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Feather eating
« on: August 17, 2010, 12:37 »
hi everyone. One of my hens, morgan,  is eating feathers, not her own, everyone elses. she has pecked the little feathers out from round  the faces of my other 4 hens, they all let her do it, and i believe she is the reason my light sussex`s feathers haven`t grown back on her bum after she moulted. She is a tiny hen, about the size of a wood pigeon, don`t know what make she is, and at night, in the bed box, she snuggles right up underneath the light sussex like a chick does with it`s mum. They won`t use the perch. I`ve tried seperating her at night, but she get`s so upset i have to put her back. No blood has been drawn anywhere, and the skin looks healthy, apart from being bald. They have a varied diet, layers and rearers pellets ad lib (layers pellets are too big for morgan, and it does say on the rearers bag they`re suitable for laying hens) a couple of handfulls of mixed corn around dinnertime, and plenty of greens. They free range in the garden for a bit every day. Any suggestions or advice as to how to stop her would be brilliant, thanks very much :)
someone keeps stealing time when i`m not looking.

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D

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  • Location: Lincolnshire
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Re: Feather eating
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2010, 12:56 »
Hi, I've got a legbar which insists of pulling the feathers out of the back of my Faverolles and eating them. I've ordered some anti-feather pecking spray. Because it tastes so bad it should put the birds off. There are other methods used such as painting the bird purple I think.

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joyfull

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Re: Feather eating
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2010, 13:56 »
sometimes they do this if they need extra protien and calcium I think, may be worth checking that they are eating enough of their layers feed.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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grumpydad

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  • Location: kidsgrove, staffordshire
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Re: Feather eating
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2010, 18:45 »
fish flavoured cat food can provide an extra source of protein.

our first chucks used to eat feathers, the hybrids we have now dont touch loose feathers


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