Feathers in the yard

[alaskachick]

My pullets are about 20 weeks now. This is my first chicken experience so I do not know what is normal as far as how many feathers chickens lose on any given day. I presume just as we lose hair daily, they must lose feathers. I have 14 birds and there seems to be an awful lot of feathers in the yard. None of the birds look like they are in any kind of molt or shedding disaster. Is it normal to have lots of feathers in the coop?

 

[NancyP]

Yep, they can lose feathers for many reasons. It can be normal or they could be molting. Another option could be from the roo's playing rough and pulling them out, or a dietary deficiency. If they look healthy I wouldn't worry much.

 

[chaneg78]

I would think as long as your not seeing bald spots on your chickens that they are not losing to many.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Out of about 30 adults I very seldom found a feather in the yard or run or coop...that is up until about two weeks ago.
Now there are feathers everywhere, and egg laying numbers have fallen drastically. I figure they must be molting.

There are feathers from everyone (different colors) and they are from their feet (I have D'Uccles with feathered feet) and wings, and there are also plenty of body feathers with downy parts near the skin end.

No one has bald spots...there are just feathers everywhere though.

 

[PatS]

Yes, I'm experiencing the same thing. I did last year about this time, too.

I figured it was my spring-born birds losing their "baby feathers" and growing their "grown-up" feathers. As we go into fall, I think the older (over a year old) hens will begin going into a molt, so this will continue for a while, for us anyhow.

It looks like someone's been having a pillow fight!

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Mine too- and mine are only 12weeks. It looks like they were having chicken fights in the coop.

 

[sheaviance1]

Being new, I figured it was the heat and they were turning on the A/C