11 week pullets have feathers everywhere

[FC16]

For certain colors of chickens, the males are more likely to have an obvious color change during juvenile molts. I've had some where both genders of chicks had a pattern of brown and black feathers, then the males turned almost solid red/gold as they molted while the females stayed almost the same appearance as before.

So I can see how a person might THINK that only the males were molting at that age-- but I've picked up plenty of chicks and looked closely, and both genders lose/grow feathers at those ages.



I don't think either of these apply to your chickens, but mentions of chicks molting can often be found in threads on butchering or wing clipping. For butchering, it's easier to pluck fully-grown feathers than partly-grown pinfeathers. For wing clipping to reduce flying, those flight feathers have to be re-trimmed every time the chick gets new ones. So both of those topics have good reasons to talk about chicks growing new feathers. When you're raising layer pullets, you don't have to do anything different while they are growing new feathers, so it doesn't get as much attention.

Thankyou, very informative. They feathered out very quickly to start with as I had them outside from around 2 weeks old. Makes sense now that they’ve obviously got to grow ‘adult feathers’ in as they grow. At first glance I thought I’d had a fox attack
I’m waiting a month or so more for them to grow a little more before I integrate them with my other hens, but I’m impressed with how fast they’ve grown already.

 

[NatJ]

View attachment 3364751This article online, plus a couple others, started talking about males having a juvenile molt which I either have misinterpreted or they’ve worded it strangely which made me think it’s a thing that the males do.
Anyway, I’m glad it’s all completely normal and thank you for your help

Oh, I see what they are saying.

All chicks have that molt.

Young chicks (male and female) have feathers shaped like the ones adult hens have. That molt is the one when young males first get the special shapes of feathers you expect in an adult rooster. So that makes it interesting and useful for people who are trying to learn the genders of their chicks, and exciting for people who are looking forward to seeing the adult appearance on the males.

 

[FC16]

Oh, I see what they are saying.

All chicks have that molt.

Young chicks (male and female) have feathers shaped like the ones adult hens have. That molt is the one when young males first get the special shapes of feathers you expect in an adult rooster. So that makes it interesting and useful for people who are trying to learn the genders of their chicks, and exciting for people who are looking forward to seeing the adult appearance on the males.

I now actually understand it more that you’ve worded it differently
Yes it does make sense come to think of it, in a way it affects the roosters more as they get their definitive ‘rooster feathers’.