Eating feathers??

[BackyardinWales]

Is it normal for chickens to eat their own feathers during molting?

My young 'pullet' - of 16 weeks - fired out several of her feathers, and then ate them! (I say pullet in inverted commas because the consensus on here was she's a girl, but so far no comb,(let alone a red one) and no wattles, or is this what some of you have called a 'pea comb'?

She wants to be with her brothers, not the other girls. I just think her legs look more like the boys lol.

 

[sourland]

She's a pullet, and feather eating can be an indication of a low protein diet.

 

[OnlySympathy]

What do you feed? A lot of feather eating is caused by lack of protein. And yes she is a 100% a pullet

 

[BackyardinWales]

She's being fed grower pellets, veggies and mealworms. She's probably eating less than she should as she won't come down with the big girls, so I've taken to giving her her food on the boys roof. (In the photo.) So at least I know she is eating.