chickens pulling out beard feathers??

[Guest]

I have noticed that some of my pullets are pulling out other pullets beard feathers. The birds being \"plucked\' just stand there. Any ideas on how to deal with this or what is causing this behavior?  

[Mike Gilbert]

It happens, and it is difficult to stop once it gets started.
Boredom sets in, the muffs get wet from drinking, then they go to the feeder and bits of feed stick to the muffs.   Other chickens see the feed, and before you know it they discover that feather eating is fun.   When birds are given plenty of room to roam, especially free range most of the day, it seldom happens, at least here.   The worst time seems to be when the breeders are locked up in relatively small pens with nothing much to do.    This just adds another challenge to Ameraucana husbandry.  

[Paul]

Feather eating may be stopped by rubbing petroleum jelly on the birds feathers, that are being eaten (beards, muffs and especially accross their backs by the base of their tail), then coating it with sulphur dust.  Neither sulphur nor petroleum jelly will work by itself.  They must be used together.  If you wear silver jewelry-remove it before treating the birds as the sulphur will cause silver to turn black.  I\'ve found that this works very well, but it will stain the birds feathers, so they need to be young enough that they will molt before showing them.  Also keep the sulphur dust out of their eyes and yours.
 
Whole oats in the birds diet helps on some cases of feather picking.