4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Falkor]

Hi All!

 

My little newbies are again 13/14 weeks and are going through what seems to be a mini moult.

 

Margot the Cream Legbar is gobbling up the feathers from the run floor with great gusto!

 

I have spent an hour or two each evening since wednesday (1st day) and ALL day on Saturday in the garden and I have not seen any feather plucking from either the Margot or Barbara.

 

The breeder they came from had them running with lots of other birds so I spose it could be boredom as there are only two of them but they have woodchip to dig in, a cabbage to peck at, a treat ball with pellets. They are being fed A&P growers pellets and have ACV in their water.

 

Could it be some sort of deficiency?

 

So.......short of standing guard and remove each feather as it drops out what can i do to deter the feather eating.

[The Dogmother]

I wouldn't worry too much, a couple of my girls do that too. Just watch that they don't start to associate those feathers on the floor with the ones on the chickens!

[meezers]

I think there must be something they like in those fluffy feathers that the young ones drop, as Ozzy was 'hoovering' up when my faverolle was dropping feathers. She only ate the fluffy ones though, wasn't interested in the bigger ones. Unfortunately Favvie is such a dozy thing, she allowed Ozzy to pluck a few from her - just sat there like a feathery buffet. I sprayed her with Ukadex and it's solved the problem . So, just be aware if you have a very daft or docile chook, it doesn't take them long to work out where the feathers are coming from