8-9 week old chicks loosing feathers

[Poultry parent]

Wow, I guess mine are just slow growing

 

[junebuggena]

I rechecked my hatch date for these. 3/2/17 sorry i got so many going its hard to keep up. So they are about 5 1/2 weeks or so. Still i swear they were feathered when i moved them outside a couple weeks ago

So they were completely feathered at only 3 weeks old? Either you have the world's fastest feathering chicks ever to live, or you mistook down for juvenile feathering. They look like completely normal chicks that are feathering in.

 

[Poultry parent]

That line of featherless skin is a featherless tract. No feathers ever grow there

 

[junebuggena]

Wow, I guess mine are just slow growing

And you are likely keeping them too warm. Keeping the brooder cool, with just a small warm spot really helps them feather in quickly.

 

[Poultry parent]

They've been outside since they hatched. They were incubated by a hen

 

[junebuggena]

They've been outside since they hatched. They were incubated by a hen

Are they free-ranging? What are you feeding?

 

[Poultry parent]

They're in a chicken tractor. They're just eating starter feed, along with some occasional kitchen scraps

 

[junebuggena]

Might not be getting enough protein. Only give high protein treats, no more kitchen scraps. They are getting enough extras with grazing in the tractor.

 

[Chic Rustler]

So they were completely feathered at only 3 weeks old? Either you have the world's fastest feathering chicks ever to live, or you mistook down for juvenile feathering. They look like completely normal chicks that are feathering in.

Im no expert for sure. I have been in the chicken business for about 3 months and started with grown chickens. But they had feathers on their backs when i moved them. They made it threw some chilly nights of 40 or less without heat. Idk. Im also terrible with time. Thats why i had to go back and check the calender. Lol



So everyone concurs these chicks are normal and healthy?

 

[Poultry parent]

By occasional I mean, that I'll give them, for example 3 green beans and a fried egg yolk. I really only give them scraps because their mother freaks out when I give the other hens their scraps