Feather eating or
feather picking can be caused from poor nutrition or poor husbandry. It is not confined just to chickens, but also turkeys, pheasants, partridges, parrots and other birds. The severity can range from gentle feather picking to the more aggressive which can lead to
Cannibilism. A degree of feather pecking may be considered a natural preening process, but under deprived conditions it results in considerable health and welfare problems. Feather pecking is normally associated with back feathers, and may progress to the tail and the whole body. Aggressive pecking, however, is usually confined to the head. The trigger for aggressive behavior can be one or more of many factors. Attention to the management features will reduce the stress conditions which can trigger aggression, but other factors ranging from boredom to sub-clinical infections to the irritation of parasites like lice or mites can also be to blame. Feather eating, which is due to a nutritional protein and amino acid deficiency, can often lead to feather pecking and then to vent pecking.
Things That May Help
- Black oil sunflower seeds
- Raise protein level in feed
- Provide more room for your fowl
- Delousing
- Provide toys for your fowl to peck at in the pen