What are the main causes for feather picking/eating?

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

I’m trying to find out the causes for feather picking and eating. I have 3 week old chicks and 2 week old chicks in completely different groups that are doing this same behavior. They all were move to bigger pens because I thought that might be part of it and added clutter to try to keep them busy but both groups are still feather picking, even down to they start bleeding. It’s multiple chicks in each group not just one or two that is doing the picking. These chicks came from quality breeders so it’s very important that I figure out what is going on here. Could some type of deficiency be the problem?

I made a new thread to see if I could get some more ideas on what’s going on since another group is showing the same behavior.

 

[sourland]

Most frequent causes are boredom, overcrowding, and protein deficiency. 24 hour lighting under a heat lamp can also cause problems.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Most frequent causes are boredom, overcrowding, and protein deficiency. 24 hour lighting under a heat lamp can also cause problems.

Right now they are on 18% protein chick food, do you think I should try 20% or 24% protein chick food to see if it helps?

 

[Mellowmalt]

It should be 20% for the first 6 weeks. I wouldn't have thought it wuld make such a difference but it is 10% less so definetely try to see if it helps

 

[aart]

I made a new thread to see if I could get some more ideas on what’s going on since another group is showing the same behavior.

Here is the other thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3-week-old-chicks-feather-picking.1456005/
So you only added more clutter a couple days ago?

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Here is the other thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3-week-old-chicks-feather-picking.1456005/
So you only added more clutter a couple days ago?

Yes, probably needs more time to actually help. I’m just extra worried over it since I’ve never had this problem before, one chick since then has had all his tail feathers plucked and was bleeding pretty bad, had to remove him from the others. The bleeding has stopped but his tail is looking pretty bad.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

I thought what I did was finally working, I didn’t see any feather picking. I left home for a couple of hours and when I came back 10 chicks were wounded and bleeding... I’m at a loss as to what to do, I’m going to separate them into 2 groups but I honestly don’t think it’s going to help.

 

[aart]

I thought what I did was finally working, I didn’t see any feather picking. I left home for a couple of hours and when I came back 10 chicks were wounded and bleeding... I’m at a loss as to what to do, I’m going to separate them into 2 groups but I honestly don’t think it’s going to help.

Man, I don't know what to tell you....other than intense observation and removing any peckers.
You could make a bunch of corrals out of HC to isolate the peckers....or put them all in one enclosure.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

2 chicks tails even have chunks of flesh/skin missing and the others have wounds on their wings at the top of their backs and lots of wing feathers missing. I separated them into two groups, I have the two with the tail wounds in individual cages, I put blu-kote on the rest and put them together. I’m not seeing the picking so I’m not sure if they are all taking part or if it’s just a couple. But 10 chicks to have wounds in a couple of hours, I wouldn’t think it’s just one chick doing it. If I could figure out the ones doing it I’m planning on culling them.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Thought I would give an update on how things are going. I have 7 chicks in each pen and 3 of the more serious injured chicks in a pen together, haven’t had anyone bleeding since which is great! I keep blu-kote on their wounds and have been watching them very close, I did end up culling one chick because of feather picking. Also looks like most of the chicks are cockerels, I think that contributed to the problem. Hopefully I don’t have any more problems but I definitely learned my lesson about keeping to many chicks together.