Feathers in run

[Jsnick]

Hi, I have 1 polish and two wyandottes and recently when I go to the run during the day I see a lot of feathers on ground. It’s a mix of all of their feathers not really sure what’s going on. They don’t look like they’re molting. They are about 4 1/2 months old almost 5.
There are not many plants n coop.

 

[Australorpfamily]

I believe ours are roughly that old, twenty of them between 16weeks and 25 weeks and there are always feathers everywhere, especially where they dust bath. I just figured it was natural loss from them growing into mature adults ?

 

[NatJ]

Hi, I have 1 polish and two wyandottes and recently when I go to the run during the day I see a lot of feathers on ground. It’s a mix of all of their feathers not really sure what’s going on. They don’t look like they’re molting. They are about 4 1/2 months old almost 5.
There are not many plants n coop.

When adult chickens molt, some of them do it gradually so you never see bare patches, and some others do it all at once so they look quite naked for a while.

Chicks molt several times as they grow up, but they almost always do it gradually. It is common for the owners to not even notice the chicks are molting, unless they see piles of feathers, or notice that the chicken has changed appearance (sometimes the first feathers are a different color or pattern than the later feathers.)

I think yours probably are molting, probably for the last time before they become adults. After that, they are likely to molt just once a year, in the fall (although some hens will do a partial molt at other times. It seems to depend on the hen.)

 

[Jsnick]

When adult chickens molt, some of them do it gradually so you never see bare patches, and some others do it all at once so they look quite naked for a while.

Chicks molt several times as they grow up, but they almost always do it gradually. It is common for the owners to not even notice the chicks are molting, unless they see piles of feathers, or notice that the chicken has changed appearance (sometimes the first feathers are a different color or pattern than the later feathers.)

I think yours probably are molting, probably for the last time before they become adults. After that, they are likely to molt just once a year, in the fall (although some hens will do a partial molt at other times. It seems to depend on the hen.)

Thank you!