AJuff Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I don't know how many feathers hens should have around their nether parts, I tend not to look too closely. But today as it was windy and their feathers were blowing up i noticed pink patches of skin around all their vents. I then noticed Hazel one of our new girls taking a keen interest in all of their bottoms and then made a bee line for a peck at them. She seems to be pulling fluffy feathers and eating them!!! What I'm really surprised about is that she is only one up from the bottom of the pecking order and none of the top ranking girls have pecked her when she has tried this. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Sadly, it seems all too common. My chook Prada has been pulling Guccis feathers out for over a year, bumper bits and anti peck rings have helped but has not really stopped her instinct to do it. ( I'm using Ukadex at the moment with fingers crossed). There are theories that say boredom, lack of calcium are to blame but I know this is not the case here, Prada just likes doing it. You could try using a tea tree solution to make the feathers taste nasty as a first attempt, you may have to resort to a bumper bit/ anti peck ring to stop the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 When they lower their undercarriages to poo or lay an egg, they can look startlingly bald around that region. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen&Lee Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Ther seem to be a few of us at the moment with this problem (see the Chicken Clinic section) Out of my 7 chooks, 5 of them are in this state I haven't spotted who I think is the culprit yet, but she is being fitted with a bumper bar Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...