Is this normal?

[schmoo]

This is my first time raising chickens so bear with me if this is a dumb question. Okay my 26 chickens are 9 weeks and very healthy. There is no evidence of picking and none of them are "missing" feathers anywhere thats evident.

In just the past few weeks (its been HOT here as everywhere) I've noticed ALOT of feathers on the floor of the coop. Are they just shedding some? Is this normal? Is it because they are hot or do they just lose feathers naturally? Thanks for any help.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Not a dumb question.

Chickens will lose feathers, and grow in new ones, especially when they are young. They are just getting in more of their adult feathers and loosing their adolescent ones. I'd say as long as you don't see any picking and everyone is healthy and happy, nothing to worry about.

 

[mlheran]

Yep, it should be normal. After they lose their fuzz they get "baby" feathers, and then those are replaced by bigger feathers. They'll also start looking more like what they're supposed to, according to breed. By the time my girls went out in their coop their pen looked like a featherduster had exploded.

 

[schmoo]

Thank you very much! Now I can stop worrying. I kept thinking why are they SO many feathers out here?! I actually counted them the other day thinking one may have been eaten or something.

 

[justusnak]

Mine are going through the very same thing....loseing the "baby" feathers. I have 28 in one coop....and it looked like feather pillows exploded. I just rake em up, and throw them in the compost pile. Feathers everywhere!! LOL

 

[jessied1227]

Mine too!!

My girls are coming up on 5 months and it looks like a bird blew up in the coop and the surrounding areas.

My cockatiel is also dropping a ton of feathers, so I figure it's gotta be that time of year.

Jess

 

[linpach farms]

same issue here - feather city, lol.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, I have a hen under molt now too... she literally is a pin cushion. You can see all the pins and she has about only 30% of her old feathers on her.