![]() Preening is a natural chicken grooming behavior, and chickens lose feathers when they groom themselves. This helps keep the eggs close to her skin while she’s incubating eggs and will give newly hatched chicks a place to rest on nice downy feathers. When a broody hen has settled into a new nest she plucks feathers from her breast and puts them in the nesting area. These feathers fall out and leave bald spots on the back. If they mate too often or have large spurs, they damage the feathers on the hen’s back. Roosters are sometimes too enthusiastic in their pursuit of the hens. Over-Mating Can Cause Feather Loss In Chickens. Add a good vitamin supplement to the feed. The solution is to change the environment and reduce stress. Crowding and lack of enough space for the flock can be a cause of feather plucking. If a chicken is self-mutilating and plucking feathers, this is probably a result of stress. This behavior will discontinue once the chicks have hatched. Nesting hens will pluck feathers, usually from their chests, to line their nest. Sometimes chickens pluck out their feathers. Regardless of the production system, including free-range systems, pecking occurs more often in birds raised on the floor and in large free-range systems. Poultry birds usually feather peck when they are stressed or there is poor management in the poultry farm. All types of poultry birds are characterized by a social hierarchy. Feather Peckingįeather pecking is a significant poultry behavior problem. In an attempt to get rid of them, your chicken will scratch and pull out her own feathers. When chickens get mites or lice these parasites will accumulate in certain areas such as around the vent which is moist or shafts of feathers. ![]() They also can lose feathers due to sickness or disease. Plucked chicken tail Feather Loss due to disease, parasites, and poor nutritionĬhickens may eat feathers due to insufficient protein in their diet. Luckily my current flock has survived due to the protection of our roosters. My chickens have dealt with hawks several times and there is always a pile of feathers on the ground afterward. If you notice a pile of feathers on the ground you better count your flock quickly there is a good chance a hawk, dog, raccoon, or other animal could have gotten one.
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