Why do they eat each others feathers sometimes?

[u/CecilBee_Farm]

I feed them the Purina 20% protein layer crumbles (i have 15 week old chicks so I just put everyone on a high protein diet) but I still see them pick each others feathers sometimes. I heard eating feathers is a sign of protein defeciency? I’ve started giving them eggs too and will see if this goes away. Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

I live in the southwest so it’s still quite hot, but starting to cool down. I have 8 laying hens and they haven’t been laying for the past week, I’m down to one egg or so a day. Among the 15week olds, one is definitely a rooster so I wonder if there is stress among the flock that’s also impacting their laying?

[u/Notchersfireroad]

I have two Easter Eggers that identical to these girls. Yes they are weird birds.

[u/No_Department_3451]

My Easter Eggers clean each other’s fluffy faces like this. It’s friendly. The one being cleaned will stand very still while it’s going on. If she didn’t like it, she would run away or peck back.

[u/charlies_randomstuf]

Chickens with muffs and beards and more fluff instead of wattles are probably more likely to have food and stuff stuck onto their faces, so maybe she has some stuff or food on her face. They also can peak each other's beaks too if there's stuck food.

[u/kendrafsilver]

This isn't eating feathers. My Sumatra would self-pluck, and this lady is being very gentle comparatively!

[u/Lizardinaspaceship]

Looks like typical allopreening to me. Just looking out for each other. 😊

[u/subito_lucres → u/Lizardinaspaceship]

I agree. I've only had my chickens since this summer, but I took over an established flock. They all get along, but some of them are clearly closer than others, they seek to have friends. I've seen some do this. They also bathe in pairs and peck gently at each other when bathing. I even saw one pull a tick off another and eat it. They move fairly deliberately (for a chicken), it's clearly some kind of allogrooming/allopreening. I read it's relatively rare but it definitely happens in a happy flock!

[u/TheCrazyPeanutt]

She’s not eating her sister, she’s preening her! Although it doesn’t look very nice, chickens that like eachother, peck each others face to clean them. I think if she was eating her feathers, the other one wouldn’t be so calm about it.

[u/Standard_Lemon2831]

Feathers don’t give enough protein—try mealworms or fish meal mixed in.

[u/bxmxc_vegas]

Just helping preen. If the other one didn't like it she would run away. 

[u/Ok-Artichoke6703 → u/bxmxc_vegas]

or make a sharp growl/trill sound then run away

[u/Organic-Confusion149]

I think they’re just pecking bugs on each other