Feather changes?

[MountainMomma359]

My 15 week old girls are getting new, super fluffy feathers...but a lot of them are coming out? Every day there are so many small floofy feathers in the run (I know they are new daily because they are in a tractor that I move daily) and I can see these new feathers poking out from under the main feathers. They don't look to be molting, no bald or scarcely feathered spots. Is this normal for the age or what? I'm worried it's some kind of deficiency or something.

 

[NatJ]

Yes, they are molting.
Chicks molt quite a few times as they grow up, before they settle down to the adult pattern of (usually) once a year in the fall.

They don't look to be molting, no bald or scarcely feathered spots.

Chicks usually molt gradually, so they do not have bare spots.

Some adult hens molt gradually too. The ones with big bare spots are just the ones that people tend to photograph.

 

[MountainMomma359]

Yes, they are molting.
Chicks molt quite a few times as they grow up, before they settle down to the adult pattern of (usually) once a year in the fall.


Chicks usually molt gradually, so they do not have bare spots.

Some adult hens molt gradually too. The ones with big bare spots are just the ones that people tend to photograph.

Thanks, I assumed they would look terrible when they molt I'm so ready for them to be big girls and lay me some eggs!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Mine are 13 weeks and slowly going through a molt too. This is the molt where a lot of their adult feathers and coloring starts to come in!

 

[MountainMomma359]

Mine are 13 weeks and slowly going through a molt too. This is the molt where a lot of their adult feathers and coloring starts to come in!

My dog is blowing her coat right now too so I guess it's just shedding season, huh?

 

[MountainMomma359]

Oh wait so do I need to do anything with their diet? Up protein?

 

[NatJ]

Oh wait so do I need to do anything with their diet? Up protein?

Chick starter or grower has the right amount of protein. That is part of why it does have more protein than layer feed-- they need to grow their bodies and lots of feathers in those first months.