Roosters eating feathers

[ryansmom06]

My 14 week old rooster is plucking feathers from hens and eating them. This is only when they are free ranging. So it’s not a crowded thing. Any help

 

[Kanekoded]

My 14 week old rooster is plucking feathers from hens and eating them. This is only when they are free ranging. So it’s not a crowded thing. Any help

This is usually a sign that your roo is craving extra protein. Feathers can clog up the crop so, you want to try to get him to stop asap. Give him some protein rich treats (cat food, tuna, etc.) to see if that does the trick.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My 14 week old rooster is plucking feathers from hens and eating them. This is only when they are free ranging. So it’s not a crowded thing. Any help

That is pretty specific. He is plucking them to eat and from different chickens. Good. That eliminates they are molting and he's just eating feathers that are floating around.

At 14 weeks he is not a rooster but is still an immature cockerel. How old are the girls? I doubt that age or maturity level has anything to do with it but you never know what might come up.

Can you describe what it looks like? Is he plucking feathers from any specific body part or is it general. Are they trying to get away or do the girls ignore it? It is only when free ranging. That is interesting. Is it during any specific activity like when foraging or resting together? Are any of them developing bare spots? How long has this been going on?

With anything to do with feathers it's usually a good idea to check for mites and lice. It doesn't sound like it at all but is just one of those things it is good to check so you can eliminate it.

If he is starving for protein why aren't the others? It sounds like an individual chicken problem, not a flock-wide problem. Still, if it works it works. It's as good a guess as any of mine.

Not knowing anything specific, my first attempt would be to lock him up for a few days. It would be where he can see them but not where he could pluck feathers. I've had success and failure doing that, no idea if it will help you or not but with mine it would be easy to try.

Good luck. This kind of thing can be challenging.

 

[Kanekoded]

That is pretty specific. He is plucking them to eat and from different chickens. Good. That eliminates they are molting and he's just eating feathers that are floating around.

At 14 weeks he is not a rooster but is still an immature cockerel. How old are the girls? I doubt that age or maturity level has anything to do with it but you never know what might come up.

Can you describe what it looks like? Is he plucking feathers from any specific body part or is it general. Are they trying to get away or do the girls ignore it? It is only when free ranging. That is interesting. Is it during any specific activity like when foraging or resting together? Are any of them developing bare spots? How long has this been going on?

With anything to do with feathers it's usually a good idea to check for mites and lice. It doesn't sound like it at all but is just one of those things it is good to check so you can eliminate it.

If he is starving for protein why aren't the others? It sounds like an individual chicken problem, not a flock-wide problem. Still, if it works it works. It's as good a guess as any of mine.

Not knowing anything specific, my first attempt would be to lock him up for a few days. It would be where he can see them but not where he could pluck feathers. I've had success and failure doing that, no idea if it will help you or not but with mine it would be easy to try.

Good luck. This kind of thing can be challenging.

Chickens need extra protein when they face high-stress situations...stress tends to effect the hormones and vice-versa. It's why a rooster might be starving a little extra protein - especially a young one.

 

[Acre4Me]

Agree with above: get more observational info and assess feed/protein.

Yes, I’d jump in with some extra protein bc that is easy. Scrambled eggs, dry cat food (I wet it slightly), meatbird feed or chick starter or all-flock feed, cooked meat that is low/no salt (chicken, beef, pork, fish are all loved by our feathered omnivores).

We switched to an all flock a few years ago, as it is 20% protein. In addition “treats” are primarily the feed, but wetted down to a mash the consistency of a pancake batter -a few seeds or fruit on top for interest. This way, they are getting their required nutritional needs met.