Molting: How do you manage feathers in your yard?

[snow5164]

I know this sounds extreme,but we have lawn sweeper , it’s attached to our garden tractor but I know there are pull or push lawn sweepers . Since you know this happens each year might be worth a look at .....picks up leaves , twigs and feathers

You are a good neighbor, don’t worry you will get nice neighbors

Our yard is full of feathers it looks like we mow chickens up !!

 

[mixedbreeds]

Hook up your leaf blower or shop vac backwards and suck up as many as you can.

 

[PirateGirl]

This is great, everyone has different ideas!

 

[Mrs. K]

Your addressing the problem will be mentioned to the new owners... so I think it is a good idea to go get those feathers as needed!

 

[rosemarythyme]

A temporary fence, pick something with small openings (even something flimsy like lightweight bird netting) should work fine as long as there's not strong winds. You could use garden stakes and just stake a line of it along the property boundary, and the feathers should just stick to it or alongside it once the breeze rolls them that way.

 

[Folly's place]

They will melt into the ground, and are fertilizer, and nesting material for songbirds.
Mary

 

[aart]

Feathers don't break down quickly, especially large wing and tail feathers.
Yesterday I observed the 'slaughter pile' I dumped in the woods about a month ago, all the feathers are still quite intact.

I was thinking a lawnmower with bagger might gather them up,
but this is in your run @PirateGirl?

A leaf blower/sucker will likely jam, if not in the tube then in the fan.
I think raking and picking them up is probably the only way.

My birds are confined to coop and run.
Run has 2' of 1/2"HC around the bottom, so I rarely see feathers outside the run.
In the coop some get scooped up with poop and got to friends compost,
any on the floor get tossed with bedding into the runs, when I change out bedding in late fall.

 

[PirateGirl]

Feathers don't break down quickly, especially large wing and tail feathers.
Yesterday I observed the 'slaughter pile' I dumped in the woods about a month ago, all the feathers are still quite intact.

I was thinking a lawnmower with bagger might gather them up,
but this is in your run @PirateGirl?

A leaf blower/sucker will likely jam, if not in the tube then in the fan.
I think raking and picking them up is probably the only way.

My birds are confined to coop and run.
Run has 2' of 1/2"HC around the bottom, so I rarely see feathers outside the run.
In the coop some get scooped up with poop and got to friends compost,
any on the floor get tossed with bedding into the runs, when I change out bedding in late fall.

Thanks! For now, most of the feathers are in the run, but there are starting to be some scattered about that have blown through the fence. The molt is definitely not in full swing yet, so I'm sure it will get worse

 

[aart]

Thanks! For now, most of the feathers are in the run, but there are starting to be some scattered about that have blown through the fence. The molt is definitely not in full swing yet, so I'm sure it will get worse

Was thinking about this...wetting them down a bit before raking might help keep them under control....gross but probably effective.

 

[PirateGirl]

Was thinking about this...wetting them down a bit before raking might help keep them under control....gross but probably effective.

The ducks take care of this in their run