What causes feather pecking in broiler chickens? What farmers need to know

When farmers raise broiler chickens, they often notice feather pecking. The causes include the following:

1. Parasite infection. If chickens are raised on bedding that is relatively damp, various parasites may even be visible to the naked eye in the bedding. The flock is prone to infestation by parasitic lice, which inevitably causes itching and feather pecking.

2. Not enough feed buckets and drinkers. One poultry farmer raised 1500 broiler chickens aged over 25 days, and the chicken house had only 11 feed buckets and 8 drinkers; crowding at feeding and delayed drinking also easily cause feather pecking.

3. High stocking density. One poultry farmer raised more than 1400 broiler chickens around 30 days of age on the floor, occupying only 70 sq m of chicken house area, averaging more than 20 chickens per sq m; excessive density restricts the chickens' movement, the air becomes foul, and the temperature rises, causing 40% of the chickens to show feather pecking.

4. Imbalanced feed nutrition.

Under market economy conditions, many poultry farmers, in order to save feeding costs, add corn to complete feed and then raise the chickens, and the proportion mixed in is not small, even exceeding 50%. As a result, the diet loses its complete-feed nature, and the required ratios of protein, amino acids, trace elements and so on that poultry must have are no longer reasonable. Poultry farmers whose feather pecking is caused by this reason account for about 80% or more.