Eating Eggs and feathers

[Lidy]

I feed my Hens and Roos vegetables: Pea, corn, celery, radicchio, spring lettuce, sardines or sometimes tuna, rice, meal worms, beetles seeds, Kale, coleslaw mix with broccoli and carrots, oats, and collard greens in a big salad form in the morning. I give maybe 2 cups of salad mixed with the worms with scratch to 9 chickens.
Through out the day they eat layer feed and mix flock feed- 16-20% protein- throughout the day. They do not free range. Once in a while I will throw in some weeds that are around their coop.

My problem is- I believe one hen was plucking at another eating her feather. Then another saw this and started do that and so I put a stop to that but the damage was done. So I started separating my chickens. Eaters from non feather eaters. And later I put them back together and again, it happened from the same 2.
Anyways... long story short I bought aprons and BluKote for the ones that were getting plucked and their feathers grew back. Found out one of my brown chickens (golden-white back) is still doing it along with my wyandotte and so I placed them together in quarantine and they are doing well. They are not plucking each others feathers out...

BUT.... My brown chicken(white back), I believe, is eating her eggs. I have found, twice now, that one of those chickens are cracking the egg and is eating/drinking it. Since they have been locked up.
First I thought it was an accident, NOPE this is intentional.

What do I do? and Why? I am going to separate them again but why.... the others are not acting this way. Lack of fiber? Calcium? Proteins? Maybe toss the salad mix and feed them beans, rice, and oats?

Help. Is it cuz she's in lockup with her cell mate?

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

It sounds like your chickens are bored. So they are started to peck at each other and eat the eggs. Is there any possible way that you could let them free range for a little while each day. That would really help. If that would not be possible you could try some interesting but really good boredom busters. Here is a great website that has some really cute ideas:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/20-winter-boredom-busters-for-backyard/

 

[aart]

Maybe toss the salad mix and feed them beans, rice, and oats?

Stop all those things, just give them the 20% fed with oyster shell in a separate feeder for calcium.

 

[Lidy]

I

It sounds like your chickens are bored. So they are started to peck at each other and eat the eggs. Is there any possible way that you could let them free range for a little while each day. That would really help. If that would not be possible you could try some interesting but really good boredom busters. Here is a great website that has some really cute ideas:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/20-winter-boredom-busters-for-backyard/

bought toys for them and such. It’s possible. Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out.

 

[Lidy]

Stop all those things, just give them the 20% fed with oyster shell in a separate feeder for calcium.

They get oyster and feed. But sometimes they don’t all the nutrients that they can get from natural foods. So it’s more of a treat than a main source of food.

 

[aart]

They get oyster and feed. But sometimes they don’t all the nutrients that they can get from natural foods. So it’s more of a treat than a main source of food.

A good feed has all the nutrition they need.
'Treats' can reduce that leading to problems.
Try cutting out all the 'treats' for a few months and see if that helps.

 

[Lidy]

A good feed has all the nutrition they need.
'Treats' can reduce that leading to problems.
Try cutting out all the 'treats' for a few months and see if that helps.

What brand of feed or foods do you give your chickens? How’s the eggs production, quality, and yoke color? How lush are their feathers? If great, please inform me so that I can see about changing my feed to something that will satisfy them. I use NatureWise, country companion, Purina flock raiser, and some brand for mealworms and beetles. I changed some brands up because they said when chickens eat feathers it’s because they lack protein and so I changed brands to a higher %. My chickens are 6 months old.

 

[aart]

What brand of feed or foods do you give your chickens? How’s the eggs production, quality, and yoke color? How lush are their feathers? If great, please inform me so that I can see about changing my feed to something that will satisfy them. I use NatureWise, country companion, Purina flock raiser, and some brand for mealworms and beetles. I changed some brands up because they said when chickens eat feathers it’s because they lack protein and so I changed brands to a higher %. My chickens are 6 months old.

I have always used flock raiser and am satisfied with it and rarely feed anything else for nutrition or 'treats'.
Have seen birds eat feathers, and over groom beards, but never really had a serious feather picker/bully.
Feather picking is IMO is a behavioral issue not connected to feed/nutrition, often due to space issues.
Have also had a couple birds that were just plain neurotic, they were delicious.

 

[Lidy]

I have always used flock raiser and am satisfied with it and rarely feed anything else for nutrition or 'treats'.
Have seen birds eat feathers, and over groom beards, but never really had a serious feather picker/bully.
Feather picking is IMO is a behavioral issue not connected to feed/nutrition, often due to space issues.
Have also had a couple birds that were just plain neurotic, they were delicious.

Thanks. I’ve noticed since I put the bully’s together they don’t pluck and eat feathers. It’s a bully thing. Cuz once they are out, they go for the two that look like them but won’t touch the other girls. They have space and I’ve just expanded it a little this weekend. Toys and space they have. I couldn’t eat them. I don’t eat animals I care for and name.