Chicks LOSING feathers?

[deborahca]

My chicks are 5 weeks old, pretty well-feathered except the Rhode Island Red who has a half-fuzzy head, and getting a bit crowded in the brooder box.

I have found a couple of feathers in the brooder box. Which is in the garage, so its definitely from the chicks and not some other bird. Is it fairly normal for them to drop one or two feathers even though the feathers are just coming in? Or should I be worried that someone is picking them? The only one who looks a bit patchy is the RIR and the feathers haven't been red...

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Mine do that too. I'm not exactly sure why but I can promise you they aren't pecking each other. So, unless you see them pecking one another, I wouldn't worry.

 

[ChickenLove6]

It's probably just the new feathers coming through, don't worry unless you see it being pecked

 

[deborahca]

Thanks. I'm used to my parrots dropping feathers all the time, but have never had babies with their first set of 'em!