10wk old hens/ finding wing feathers in coop...

[LovinAK]

I'm not sure if I should be concerned or if this is normal, but I'm finding the long wing tip feathers laying around the coop lately. My girls are 10wks old and I've found this for the past two weeks. It's only the longer feathers and they seem to all be from my Light Brahmas and a few of my Buff Orpingtons. I also have Black Australorps but don't see any of theirs. No one has bald spots and I don't see any smaller downy feathers laying around, just the long ones.
Is it normal for them to molt only these wing feathers or should I be concerned about a feather plucker in the group? I don't see any bullies and for the most part they all get along. They were all brooded together and are all the same size. There are 21 hens in a 16X24ft barn with plenty of ventilation and fresh air, food and water. Lots of roost space too, although they all seem to pile up in a corner at night. They have only been in this coop about 3 weeks when I moved them over from the brooder in our garage. Could stress play a part? Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[azygous]

Are you finding complete feathers rather than broken ones? Pullets don't usually molt their first year. I would watch them at roosting time to see if they may be having problems. If there isn't enough space on the perches as chickens flap their way up, the wing feathers could get damaged and broken off.

I've found that the estimate of one foot of perch space for each chicken is really inadequate in practice. They're better off with twice that.

 

[eviemethugh]

We have 2 hens that pick feathers off the others, and I often see them with feather hanging out of their mouths. No one is going bald because she has 30+ to pick on, but I know they are a problem because I see it. I think problem chickens usually show off when mom or dad come to visit the coop because they want to show you they are in charge.

 

[aart]

I've got a batch of 10 weeks old.....they are definitely going thru a juvenile 'molt'....feathers everywhere!

Chickens change their 'coats' 2-3 times before one year old, then have a their first adult molt around 18 months

 

[LovinAK]

Thanks for the replies. They are whole feathers and the long ones from their wings. They have ample roost and coop space for sure and I haven't seen anyone picking on anyone else. My hopes are that it's a "mini molt" and maybe the smaller fluffy ones are being eaten? I will keep an eye on them. I also try to keep them busy with fresh greens in their coop. I haven't built their run area yet so I've been making sure they stay entertained. Thanks again!

 

[BreezyMeadowsNJ]

Thanks for the replies. They are whole feathers and the long ones from their wings. They have ample roost and coop space for sure and I haven't seen anyone picking on anyone else. My hopes are that it's a "mini molt" and maybe the smaller fluffy ones are being eaten? I will keep an eye on them. I also try to keep them busy with fresh greens in their coop. I haven't built their run area yet so I've been making sure they stay entertained. Thanks again!

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[ChickenMammX4]

I've got a batch of 10 weeks old.....they are definitely going thru a juvenile 'molt'....feathers everywhere!

Chickens change their 'coats' 2-3 times before one year old, then have a their first adult molt around 18 months

This has been my experience, mine are about 15 weeks and there have been feathers around for the past few weeks. They all look healthy with no bald spots so I wasn't worried and figured they were growing and changing into adult hens. Happy to read I was right.

 

[LovinAK]

I just wanted to update everyone on what I've found. Yesterday and today I went into their coop to pet a few and it's like their feathers are just falling off. Molt confirmed! What a relief, I'm just glad there's no feather pulling going on at the moment.
Thanks again for the input, everyone. I appreciate the help.