Looks like a feather pillow exploded but

[augustwest]

No feather loss on my chicken? I have one that's probably due for a molt. She was hatched on Thanksgiving and has been laying for 3 months. She stopped laying about 3 weeks ago. We thought that she was hiding eggs (she is the only girl old enough to lay), but now that she's been run and coop bound for the past week it's clear there are no eggs.

About a week ago, I started noticing lots of feathers on the ground and in the coop. But, I can't see where they are coming from. I had 2 that molted before (killed by a fox) and both got bald necks and heads. This am, feathers are everywhere. I thought for sure that someone was killed, but nope. Just feathers.

Is this normal?

 

[hennyannie]

I have some that go quite naked when they molt, and some you can't even tell it is happening.
I think it's normal for some to molt gradually and not seem so noticeable.

 

[augustwest]

I had no idea that you might not be able to tell they were molting. Very interesting. Thank you!

 

[Denninmi]

Just look the bird's skin over for pinfeathers coming in.

When my RIR's were 2 last summer at this time, they had a total molt, and did go nearly naked. It was funny to see them looking like pincushions as the new feathers grew in. The old feathers did all fall out basically at once over a period of maybe a week.