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One common issue among chicken keepers is when chickens start pecking each other feathers out. There are many reasons behind chickens’ behaviors, and it can be difficult to figure out why they are doing it. Here are some reasons why chickens are pecking each other’s feathers out.
1. Stress
If you notice your chickens becoming more aggressive, stress might be main reason why. Overheating is one common stressor, but cramped living conditions can also contribute to their stress levels, leading to behaviors like feather pecking.
To help reduce their stress, make sure your chickens have plenty of space in their coop or cages.
2. Excess Light
Light is another important factor that chicken keepers need to manage carefully. Too much light can agitate chickens, leading to increased aggression. If you’re using white bulbs, it’s recommended to keep the wattage below 40W.
Monitor the amount of light your chickens receive, limiting it to 16 hours or less each day. During egg-laying, chickens prefer a dim, cool environment. Excessive lighting can cause stress and may even decrease their egg production.
3. Overheating
If your chickens are pecking at each other’s bottoms, it’s a sign that something is bothering them. The reasons for this behavior often overlap with those behind feather pecking. Overheating is a common cause of chickens pecking at each other’s bottoms. To address this issue, ensure your chickens have access to cool water and proper ventilation. It’s important to maintain a comfortable temperature in their coop or room to keep them from getting too hot.
4. Boredom
Boredom can also lead to chickens pecking at each other’s bottoms. If your chickens are confined to a small space with limited room to move, they may become bored and start pecking each other as a way to pass the time. While it might seem unusual, many chicken keepers have noticed increased aggression when their birds are kept in tight quarters for safety.
If external factors like bad weather prevent you from giving them more space, try to find ways to keep them occupied. One idea is to make feeding more interactive—for instance, you can hang kale or cabbage leaves just out of reach so they have to work a bit to get their food. Keeping them engaged with activities like this can help reduce pecking behavior.
Some Feather Pecking Is Normal
Pecking, also known as picking, occurs when one chicken pecks or pulls the feathers of another, a behavior referred to as feather pecking. While mild pecking is normal and generally harmless, excessive feather pecking can lead to skin injuries. The appearance and texture of feathers often influence this behavior.
Chickens tend to peck shorter feathers more often than longer ones, and studies suggest that hens laying white-shelled eggs are less prone to feather pecking compared to those laying brown-shelled eggs.
Feather pecking can happen in any breed, regardless of age or gender, and is often learned from other chickens. This behavior is especially common in confined environments like cages, aviaries, and floor plans, where chickens are more likely to mimic each other. If one chicken begins pecking aggressively, others are likely to follow suit.
It’s crucial to monitor your chickens’ behavior to prevent severe damage.
How Do You Stop Chickens From Pecking Each Other?
Now, after talking about the reasons behind feather pecking and bottom pecking, it’s time to talk about the measures you can use to stop your chickens from pecking each other.
Investigate The Root Cause
The first thing that you should do is to investigate the root cause of the pecking. You should consider this pecking thing as a problem and just like any other problem, if you don’t what’s causing the problem, you won’t be able to solve it. If the pecking is getting aggressive, then you should try to find what’s irritating your chickens.
Make sure they have enough space, the lighting is not too bright and once you get the idea of the problem, take safety measures accordingly.
Introduce Chicken Baths
Installing chicken baths is one of the best ways that work very effectively. Though chickens do not take a bath like other animals, they loosen up the dirt on their body first, and then they cover themselves in it. This process is referred to as a dust bath. To prepare the dust bath, you will need a container with dimensions of at least 12’’ x 15’’ x 24.
After that, mix wood ash, soil, and sand into the container. At last, make sure to keep the mixture loose so that your chickens can roll around easily.
