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

I'm sorry to hear that! There are several things that could be causing Indie distress. The first step is to check for any obvious issues such as parasites, skin infections, redness, wounds, etc around the tail or vent that could be causing distress. Digestive issues that are causing loose stools may also cause matting around the vent leading to tail feather pulling. If you suspect a health cause, a trip to your vet is best to address these problems. If Indie checks out healthy, making sure she has enough enrichment can help. Adding in toys she can preen, puzzles to play with, etc can all help. If she's housed with another bird, making sure the other bird isn't picking on her and that there are enough food, water dishes, etc around can help prevent competition. Spending time together playing or interacting can also help. In some cases, the feather pulling behavior can become learned. Making a bird-sized Elizabethan (cone) collar (Google tutorials on how to make one) can help stop her from plucking and help break the habit.

Penni may be molting, have mites or, if you have a rooster as well, the rooster may be rubbing the feathers off as he fertilizes Penni's eggs. If she is molting , it will look very ugly and she will lose and replace all feathers and look fairly naked during molt. Mites can cause feather loss, but you would see her scratching and picking at herself. If you have a rooster and it is caused by him, you can get a little chicken apron to put on her proteting her back feathers. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

It looks like infection. You would need to have them examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl for confirmation and treatment. Causes include trauma, bacterial infection, fungal infection or parasites. Separate them from the flock to prevent potential spread. Keep them warm, fed, hydrated and as stress free as possible until you see the veterinarian.

Thanks for reaching out about Ringo Starr. Laying imperfect eggs and sitting quietly could be a sign of egg binding or other reproductive diseases. If she is eating well and otherwise not looking in distress, then monitoring her is okay for a few days. Ensure her diet is adequate, to replace calcium that is being lost due to egg laying. If she continues to isolate herself or her signs of illness progress, an avian veterinarian examination should be scheduled. Good luck.

Chewing feathers can be caused by a number of reasons. Ava may be bored or stressed out, and thus chewing on feathers or overpreening. Adding in some extra toys or toys that can be chewed on may divert her attention there instead. Moving her to a calmer location in the house away from stressful pets and people can also help. Sometimes, parasites or skin issues can cause overpreening or feather chewing. Looking for signs of parasites such as flecks of "stuff" on the feather base along the skin, redness, itching, irritation etc can alert you to this. If you see discoloration, wounds or visible changes to the skin that can also indicate a skin issue which should be looked at or treated. If home changes and care don't help, it is always best to schedule a veterinary checkup to rule out more serious health issues, and have them treated.

It would be best to discourage mice being in the coop as much as possible, either by setting traps or making sure the grain fed to the chickens is hung out of reach and all grain-bins are closed. While they may not transmit much or anything to your hens, the droppings can transmit diseases to the humans cleaning the coop if not properly handled. Chickens should have feathers. It is possible your hen is molting (losing feathers while new ones grow in) which is normal and happens yearly for most chickens, and you will see pin (or short pin-like) feathers signaling new feathers regrowing. If your chicken is not regrowing the feathers or is being picked on, it may indicate an issue such as being bullied, parasites, illness, etc and should be checked out by a vet.

Treating feather picking really depends on the underlying cause. Mites can be a possibility, and you may see an increase in itching, redness of the skin, or visible flecks of "stuff" on the skin or feather base. Most pet stores carry a mite spray that can be used to treat this. If you see visible wounds or oozing on the skin, it could indicate something more serious such as an illness or skin infection which should be looked at by a vet. If the plucking is around the vent, this can sometimes indicate an internal parasite or digestive upset causing issue. Boredom can also sometimes cause feather plucking. Adding in more enrichment such as fun puzzle toys, toys that can be preened instead, or even spending more time together can help reduce boredom behavior and feather plucking. Moving the cage to a lower traffic area without pets or people bothering Kiwi as much can also help. if you can't seem to find a cause, home treatment doesn't work, or the problem worsens, seeking veterinary care is always best.