Feather Loss

Feather loss

Moulting, Pecking and Feather Damage

Oh my!  chickens are losing their feathers! What is going on?

Relax this is natural, and it happens from time to time and there are reasons for it. So before you start looking online for little clothes or what some people call chicken aprons look for the cause first. Just like we shed our hair and horses and dogs their coats, chickens shed feathers or something is eating at them.

First look to see if they are Moulting, you will walk into the pen one day and it is full of feathers. Usually most if not all your chickens of the same age will moult at the same time. Something triggers them to start, and if is in the Fall, they will slow down or stop laying for a few months as well. It is a natural annual process where your chickens replace their entire compliment of feathers over a few weeks. In a moult you will see new feathers beginning to appear.

Stress such as extreme heat, water deprivation, severe storms, a scary predator lurking around  or illness can induce moulting.
Pecking by other chickens usually around the vent or on the back is usually caused by stress, boredom or protein deficiency. Sometimes you have a pecking order going on and if they don’t work it out you may need to separate the pecked chicken or the pecker for a while.
Roosters can damage feathers on a hens back during mating.  There is an apron used to put over their back to protect them, or you can make your own. This is natural and the feathers will grow back after the breeding season slows down and your rooster matures.

Mite or lice infestation are pretty common reasons for your chickens to loose feathers. The whole flock needs to be treated as well as the pen. Even if you don’t actually see the mites or lice, I recommend treating anyway, they are very hard to detect.

What to look out for:

• pecking one another and pulling feathers

•bald batches around the head, back or vent

•feather eating, sucking on feathers

•a rooster excessively mating with one hen causing bald patches

Treatments

Moulting

Give additional protein or vitamins when new feathers are coming in, (feathers are more than 80% protein). Administer in drinking water for up to 5 days, with fresh solution made up daily. Use a feed additive or feed specifically designed for feathers.

Plucking or pecking

Feed a balanced diet; feed a good quality layer pellet or crumbles. Provide additional protein to the diet via the drinking water. Separate if needed until the feathers come back. Give them something to keep them busy if contained or free range when possiable.

Vent pecking

Vent pecking can lead to the offender causing severe blood loss and death.  This type of pecking starts out of curiosity and is non aggressive, however chickens like to peck at red objects.  When birds lay, their vents are often swollen and red for a few hours after laying.  This causes other chickens to begin pecking.

Vent pecking can be avoided by darkening the coop so the red does not appear as vibrant.  The light intensity in the chicken house should not be brighter than the minimum level at which a newspaper can be read. Painting the windows can reduce the light level too. We would also recommend not letting the birds out until after 10am.  The chickens should have laid by this time and their vents will have returned to normal.

Aggressive pecking

Initially birds can develop feather sucking or pulling due to boredom. The main reasons for this are:

•lack of space

•unsuitable environments

•being shut in for long periods  

•Bullying from birds higher up the pecking order

Things to know about feather picking

A patch of feathers in a certain area will usually be targeted.  If the bird draws blood or damages the skin then it will act as an attractant to other birds.

Aggressive pecking is instigated by dominant birds asserting their authority. It is often directed at the victim’s head and often consists of one hard peck, the victim retreats and so the natural order is resumed. Often this is a one off peck and isn’t a real problem.  However, this can get out of hand and eventually cause death and cannibalism in extreme circumstances.

Pecking can become a problem when new birds are introduced to a flock; try putting the new birds in a cage within the coop.  The other chickens can see you new introductions but not peck.  After a few days they can be let in together. Alternatively, add new chickens at night, carefully placing them on the perch.  Usually all the birds settle down with only minor upsets.

Pecking one another and pulling feathers. Chickens need specific levels of protein made up of a combination of amino acids and it is imperative these are met otherwise they will seek protein from elsewhere – the feathers! Chickens will pick them up off the ground and eat them, this leads to the chickens plucking them out of themselves or their flock mates. 

Feathers are made up of 80% protein so they need additional protein during the regrowth phase. Ensure you feed a good quality ration to your poultry and do not make up your own ration or feed excessive corn and snacks, as it can lead to deficiencies and obesity. Low salt can also cause a similar problem.

Prevention

Prevention is always better than a cure; distractions such as flock blocks, hanging up fresh greens, nailing up a piece of swede cut in half to play with. Or by giving the chickens plenty of area to range and forage will all help.

Chicken Vet Anti Peck Spray can be sprayed on the affected areas of pecked birds for 7 days as this has an unpleasant taste, discouraging the other birds from pecking one another.

If Rooster damage is a problem then it’s best to separate the lovers and again give the suffering hen some high protein feed or additive to water  to encourage feather regrowth and aid her often slightly traumatic recovery.