feather growth

[urbanchickymama]

I have 6 fluffy little Golden Comets which are about 10-14 days old. Most of them have developed a good number of grown up feathers on their wings, I am just wondering when&where their big-girl feathers should start showing up next? I searched but was unable to find week-by-week pics but if I missed something please feel free to redirect me!

 

[Delta2 23]

They will grow in time.
This was one of mine from about 6 weeks old.

This one from over three months, almost all chick feathers gone:

They have enough feathers to keep warm outdoors from about 5 weeks onwards.

 

[urbanchickymama]

I just mean, purely from a nerdy interest- where should I watch for their feathers to start developing next?
As in, at 4 weeks feathers should start growing on shoulders, 7 weeks, chest feathers emerging, etc.
I'm not in a hurry for them to grow up, just want to be watching for their next big-girl feathers because it's
interesting to me to see how they mature.

 

[RonC]

Second week they get their tail feathers, then the next week feathers between their wings on their back appear. About 4 weeks their breast start growing feathers in a row down each side then fill in. Then the feathers will start working up the neck and finnally their head. The ears do start earlier than their head, looks like little earmuffs.

 

[curiositykt]

I really want a day by day, week by week chart with pictures showing how the feathers come in and what to expect approximately in their behavior. Like "by the end of week one they will be trying out their new wings and stretching a lot. By day 10 they will start trying to fly"

 

[urbanchickymama]

I really want a day by day, week by week chart with pictures showing how the feathers come in and what to expect approximately in their behavior. Like "by the end of week one they will be trying out their new wings and stretching a lot. By day 10 they will start trying to fly"

Wouldn't that be great? I thought for sure i'd be able to find something like that but no luck!

And thanks RonC, i'll be watching their fluffy butts with bated breath!

 

[Kikiriki]

Second week they get their tail feathers, then the next week feathers between their wings on their back appear. About 4 weeks their breast start growing feathers in a row down each side then fill in. Then the feathers will start working up the neck and finnally their head. The ears do start earlier than their head, looks like little earmuffs.

I have three six week old gold sex links. They are my first chickens since I was a kid, and I picked them up just last week. The owner picked them from a cage full, and I didnt see them until I got home. They all have mostly bare backs, and I wasnt sure if they had been pecked due to boredom/crowding, or if they just werent developing feathers on their backs yet. I did not really find an answer anywhere until now! It seems they were feather pecked, and now they wont get those feathers again for a long time... Are there skin issues I need to watch for since they will be bare backed for quite some time? Thanks for the info, btw!

 

[Kikiriki]

Hi Delta2 23,

Love your pictures...my girls resemble yours. Are yours golden sex links? I'm a newbie, and can not yet easily identify types except some really obvious ones!

 

[RonC]

At about 10-14 days they will start trying out their wings so better have top on the brooder. That's when they start acting like chickens, sorting pecking order,foraging,dust bathing, and sunning when they can. All disturbing to new chicken parents but normal behavior.

 

[handmommy]

Ours are about 11 days old and have been trying to 'fly' for a few days. It's great! But I don't have a top on the brooder yet - better get on that! I'm afraid I'm gonna open the door to the room they're in and there will be chickens flying all over the place! What should I use as a top? They are in a big rubbermaid bin....