feathers everywhere

[Lynne2890]

I am raising chickens for the first time. I have 3 Isa Browns and 3 silver laced Wyandottes. The Wyandottes were a straight run and turns out we have two roosters and one hen. They are approximately 12 weeks old. Much bigger than I expected. Anyway, they seem to be shedding a lot of feathers. The feathers aren't very long, and fuzzing at the base also the birds do not have bald spots. Is this normal feather re-growth or should I worry about something?
I turn the pine shavings bedding daily. I clean the area under their perch daily. However I am still feeding them starter. Trying to get rid of the starter feed (they didn't eat as much as I thought they would). I will be mixing the starter food with grower soon. Their run is a 16' x 24' overgrown vegetable garden (I fought the weeds and the weeds won). They eat a lot of greens. They have constant access to feed...in house and in the run. They seem happy enough. I love watching them. I may be giving them too many treats...fruit and vegetable scraps (they LOVE watermelon) they are not crazy about strawberries. I am going to cut back on that to encourage them to eat more of the feed. Oh btw the hen house is . My husband has done a great job building it and to allow as much space for them as possible we have created a pvc pipe feeder and waterer that attach to the walls. The feed and water is never soiled by the chickens.

I apologize the length of this post. So happy to have found this forum.

 

[Ducklover3449]

Do not worry. Your chickens are perfectly fine. All chickens will molt annually, their first occurs around 16-18 months of age. However, your chickens and many others may just be molting early. During a molt, chickens will lose their feathers and grow new ones. Molting occurs in response to decreased light as summer ends and winter approaches. However, some chickens or ducks do not follow this rule. They are simply just molting. During this time, it's good to keep your chickens in clean areas, and feed them correctly. Too high of protein in feeds can alter the growth of feathers. Molting is painless but sometimes can be a bit of a stressful time for your chickens, (especially since it is their first) and you want their feathers to grow back healthy and their plumage to be just right! I hope you have a fun time raising your chickens! Molting is just one of the many things in your chickens life. No need to worry! However, molting can take a many weeks, but if it spans out for an increasingly long time, and because your chickens are still young and molting early, this could be a problem. Or, if your chickens are laying, they sometimes pull out their feathers to line the nest. Hope I helped!

I am raising chickens for the first time. I have 3 Isa Browns and 3 silver laced Wyandottes. The Wyandottes were a straight run and turns out we have two roosters and one hen. They are approximately 12 weeks old. Much bigger than I expected. Anyway, they seem to be shedding a lot of feathers. The feathers aren't very long, and fuzzing at the base also the birds do not have bald spots. Is this normal feather re-growth or should I worry about something?
I turn the pine shavings bedding daily. I clean the area under their perch daily. However I am still feeding them starter. Trying to get rid of the starter feed (they didn't eat as much as I thought they would). I will be mixing the starter food with grower soon. Their run is a 16' x 24' overgrown vegetable garden (I fought the weeds and the weeds won). They eat a lot of greens. They have constant access to feed...in house and in the run. They seem happy enough. I love watching them. I may be giving them too many treats...fruit and vegetable scraps (they LOVE watermelon) they are not crazy about strawberries. I am going to cut back on that to encourage them to eat more of the feed. Oh btw the hen house is . My husband has done a great job building it and to allow as much space for them as possible we have created a pvc pipe feeder and waterer that attach to the walls. The feed and water is never soiled by the chickens.

I apologize the length of this post. So happy to have found this forum.

r

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Chicks go through several juvenile/mini-molts in the first 6 months or so and then their first big molt at about 18 months

 

[Lynne2890]

Chicks go through several juvenile/mini-molts in the first 6 months or so and then their first big molt at about 18 months

Thank you! This seems to make sense. None of the chickens have bare spots. Having a fun time watching them grow. They require minimal work and make me smile whenever I see them.