Missing tail feathers..HELP

[its hilly]

Three of my roos and one hen have lost their longest tail feathers overnight
I've not seen anyone eating feathers or pecking at the others, and they had tails when they went to bed, but not in the morning. They haven't been pulled out as the bottom halfs still there. I know the obvious is hens eating them, most of the hens are now POL. My worry though is that I know I have rats in the barn (another reason for shifting them out so I can get rid) Would they have done it, and do rats ever actually attack the chooks themselves? Its noticable that the eaten ones all roost together, they sit on the one brick high surround of the old manger area. (its a solid stone shelf about 18 in high with brick round the outside edge) The others roost on bars, or the roof trusses and still have luxurious tails.
If its the hens is it not enough protien? And how could I up it if it is.
They get layers am with extras four times a week (days off) which are only fed once the layers are cleared up. Usually porridge, or veg stew with garlic. Then layers cut with one third mixed corn for bedtimes. They all look shiney and are bouncy tiggers. And proper ACD in the water twice a week.

[CountryFayre]

Do all 4 sleep there everynight? Are there any others that sleep there that still have tails?
My first thought would be simply that they have damaged them on the wall but it may be worth blocking that area off so they can't sleep there and then see what happens.
A rat will try to take younger birds through a slatted floor but we got rid of the rat and the slatted floor.

You need to start baiting and clear the rats as they can bring all sorts of nasties into the birds apart from causing damage and eating a lot of feed. I know people don't like poisons but we have dogs, cats children and birds. As long as you are careful and sensible you can use poisons safely even with these obsticles.

sorry I can't be more help than that at the moment

[Flummery]

You can up their protien with cat food. Allegedly they love it. Never tried it with mine.

[HayleyB]

Tinned sardines will give extra calcium too, sounds like it is the hens that are doing it.

[its hilly]

Ooops, never thought of calcium..would that affect them if they haven't started laying? Is that limestone flour then, or oyster grit?

[Eco-Chic]

Limestone flour or baked crushed eggshells for calcium plus Cod Liver Oil to aid production of vitamin D which is necessary for absorption of calcium.

[Flummery]

If you make a damp mix of pellets you can sprinkle limestone flour, a teaspoon or so of cod liver oil, and poultry spice on, which are all good for them at this time of year. I give mine cod liver oil once a weel or so, and poultry spice whenever I give them a hot wet feed (most days in this weather).

[runnerbean]

Can you use codliver oil capsules the ones you can get at the chemist.

And add it to the layers pellets when they been crushed.

[MaureenHall]

Can you use codliver oil capsules the ones you can get at the chemist.

And add it to the layers pellets when they been crushed.

It's an expensive way of doing it, I buy Cod Liver Oil from asda, it's about 70 - 80p a bottle

[runnerbean]

Thank you MaureenHall

I will go to asda in the morning,how much do you add to the layers mash.

[MaureenHall]

I add about a teaspoonful to each container of wet food, that's shared between about 10 of them (it's all a bit hit and miss in this house!!)

[runnerbean]

Thank you i wil treat the chickens it's freezing outside had to de-ice the lock again today.

[its hilly]

Just a quick update
No more tails dissappeared overnight. But I added a couple of doses of CLO (I get it in 5l containers for the nags) and then thinking of everyones suggestion of calcium ordered some oyster grit.
It arrived last night so today I half filled an old pan and left it in the building for them. Tonight there was hardly any left.
I'd rather assumed that as there was all sorts of buiders grit, gravel and hardcore floating round and they free range they would find what they needed...obviously as they are POL what they needed was good quality calcium, and there wasn't any.
Another lesson learned courtesy of the Roosters Thanks all.

[HayleyB]

Glad it's sorted Hilly

[pickledtink]

Moult?

One of mine had this exact same thing happen a couple of days ago. On a poultry site with lots of knowledge someone said she was moulting. Now it's also down her neck and on her head but already tidgy new growth is coming through. What looks like the white quill ends stay put apparantly and the new feathers grow back through them.

She hadn't laid an egg for about 10 days before which I assumed was down to this awful weather but is in fact what happens when they moult. They keep all their energy for regrowth so don't lay for a while before and after.
Thye're all laying les due to the weather but another has laid nothijg fior a week now soI'm watching for her to do the same.