Losing feathers

[Bonnieboo]

One of my Wyandottes has been losing feathers since she was about 6 weeks old. She hasn't lost so many she looks ragged but every day when I clean the coop there are always about 10 feathers lost. Some are her proper feathers and others are the small fluffy ones. She is now 9 weeks old.
This may be completely normal but I can't say I've noticed with my other babies in the past. Any ideas?

 

[nuthatched]

Is she being picked or bullied?

 

[Bonnieboo]

Hmm, good thought. However the dominant hen doesn't seem to "keep her in line" any more than her sister who isn't losing feathers.

 

[aart]

Juvenile molts, they'll have 2-3 between hatch and about 6mo.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, it sounds like a juvenile molt. Chicks outgrow their feathers and need to replace them. A grown chicken would look pretty silly with a young chick's feathers.

That sounds like a long time for one chick to molt. Are you sure some others aren't contributing feathers? They should be. But there is an explanation for that long slow molt. Some chickens are fast molters, they dump their feathers in a hurry and can look really ragged. But others are slow molters. This has nothing to do with how fast feathers grow back, it's about how fast they fall out. It's genetic. Some chickens can take months to lose their feathers. You can't tell they are molting by looking at them it is such a gradual process.

 

[Bonnieboo]

Juvenile molts, they'll have 2-3 between hatch and about 6mo.

Thanks Chicken juggler, Thanks for your experienced insight!

 

[Bonnieboo]

I agree, it sounds like a juvenile molt. Chicks outgrow their feathers and need to replace them. A grown chicken would look pretty silly with a young chick's feathers.

That sounds like a long time for one chick to molt. Are you sure some others aren't contributing feathers? They should be. But there is an explanation for that long slow molt. Some chickens are fast molters, they dump their feathers in a hurry and can look really ragged. But others are slow molters. This has nothing to do with how fast feathers grow back, it's about how fast they fall out. It's genetic. Some chickens can take months to lose their feathers. You can't tell they are molting by looking at them it is such a gradual process.

Hi Ridgerunner, Thanks for the info, it's so nice to have someone to ask any questions of who is more experienced.