Losing Feathers

[NewbieTXmamaHen]

Is it common for chickens to lose their feathers in the summer? It is hot here in Texas and they seem healthy otherwise but they all are dropping the small fluffy feathers as well as the larger ones from their wings. They are 12-13 weeks old.

 

[azygous]

Yes, it's normal for young growing chickens to go through several juvenile molts until they get their final adult plumage. Some of these juvenile molts can produce quite a lot of their little feathers.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Chicks go through many molts before adult feathers come in. It sounds like they are simply going through a juvenile molt.

They shouldn't be naked, like can happen when an adult bird annually molts. This should be a soft molt with some feather loss.

To be safe, check for burrowing mites which can cause feather loss as can other mites (feather picking).

But chances are the heat and their age is causing a soft molt.

LofMc

 

[NewbieTXmamaHen]

Thank you both so much, I feel better as they are certainly not naked! The molting makes sense. I do have a fear of mites as I saw a video one time and they look horrible to get rid of so I have been pulling loose feathers out of the coop, giving them plenty of dust bath areas, and medicated chick starter. I will still check them out tomorrow just to be safe good thing we only have four, I cannot imagine those of you who have dozens to care for!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Just a heads up...medicated chick feed only addresses coccidia (protozoa) infestation overgrowth...it has nothing to do with mites...just in case you were thinking that.

And mites aren't that hard to get rid of. Good cleaning of coop and spraying or dusting with permethrin (pyrethrin).

With a new flock of just 4, it is doubtful you'll have problems. It's those that have multiple flocks over multiple years that build up eventually occurs.

Keep the dusting areas, sprinkle them with poultry dust, and/or wood ash, and you'll probably be fine.

LofMc

 

[NewbieTXmamaHen]

Just a heads up...medicated chick feed only addresses coccidia (protozoa) infestation overgrowth...it has nothing to do with mites...just in case you were thinking that.

And mites aren't that hard to get rid of. Good cleaning of coop and spraying or dusting with permethrin (pyrethrin).

With a new flock of just 4, it is doubtful you'll have problems. It's those that have multiple flocks over multiple years that build up eventually occurs.

Keep the dusting areas, sprinkle them with poultry dust, and/or wood ash, and you'll probably be fine.

LofMc

Thank you @Lady of McCamley I caught them cleaning their feathers and snapped a couple of photos… I agree on the heat and molting. I tried to order diametaceous Earth on Amazon and a message came up saying it could not ship to my house. I was going to try and mix that into the dirt and their coop.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you @Lady of McCamley I caught them cleaning their feathers and snapped a couple of photos… I agree on the heat and molting. I tried to order diametaceous Earth on Amazon and a message came up saying it could not ship to my house. I was going to try and mix that into the dirt and their coop.

Pretty birds. They look fine in the photo.

Personally, I'd skip the DE. It doesn't do much and is harmful to the lungs of chickens (and humans). Wood ash in dirt, plain dirt, or permethrin/pyrethrin dust (made from chrysanthemums) is fine.

LofMc