The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: langdon on June 26, 2010, 12:12:03 pm
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we seen some of the hens pecking each other yesturday and eating the feathers.
has anyone else seen this going on with your chucks.
i cant believe how nasty they can be to each other.
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I have seen my hens eating feathers that are lying around so would also be interested to find out why.
Hope its not a sign of any deficiency.
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i think you will find its bordem get a cabbage and tie it up that will keep them going for houres
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there's our answer - bordem.
blimey they get bored easily dont they? i have seen mine do it even when there is veg hanging for
them to eat.
wonder if there will be any more explanations!
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A good boredom buster is a wire hanging basket hung so they can reach it at head height filled with veg scraps.Put chicken wire in the basket to make the holes smaller.
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I have seen my hens eating feathers that are lying around so would also be interested to find out why.
Hope its not a sign of any deficiency.
Aren't they just picking off any little beasties?
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allready have done that!
great minds think alike ;)
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Feather-pecking is a nasty vice which is difficult to deter.
Pheasant poults are very guilty of it when reared in large numbers...so much so that they are often fitted with either plastic 'bits', which are 'C' shaped and fit into each nostril, passing between the mandibles, and serve to keep the beak from closing properly so that feathers cannot be gripped; or 'specs', which are two discs which sit above the beak and don't allow the bird to see anything directly in front.
These devices are available for poultry too.
Birds which feather-peck are greatly attracted to new feathers in their early stage of growth as these are full of blood. If the supply of these runs out, the birds continue to peck at the damaged skin around the tail and vent and can make a real mess of the pecked individuals. Often, culling the feather-peckers is the only way to wipe the habit out in a flock.
Eating feathers from the ground, which have been lost or moulted, is a different thing and, I believe, is is related to the crop and digestion.