Why is my hen plucking her tail feathers and pecking herself?

Question

My hen mrs. Star has been with out tail feathers for a year now. I noticed she keeps pecking at it even if it hurts. What could be wrong? Pet's info: Farm Animal | Farm Chicken | Female | unspayed | 2 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Poor Mrs. Star! Loss of feathers can be due to a number of things, including mites or parasites, skin issues, or even learned behaviors/stress. Checking for any signs of mites (stuff attached to the feathers, crawling bugs on the body, excessive itching, etc) can alert you to this. If you are seeing any wounds, making sure to treat them and keep Mrs. Star separate until the wound is healed is best (as other chickens are likely to peck at the exposed area.) If the feather plucking has become a learned behavior, using a chicken apron to protect the area, or an Elizabethan (cone) collar to break the habit for a few days may help the area to start to heal. Making sure all of the hens have enough space, plenty of enrichment, etc is also a good idea to help decrease stress.

Why is my hen plucking her tail feathers and pecking herself?

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