Molting...what do u do with the feathers?

[BallyChickMom]

We're experiencing our 1st molt ever. Do we need to collect& discard the lost feathers? If I leave them about will they attract mites or disease? I don't want to endanger my other girls who're not yet molding.

Also, is feeding high quality suet helpful? I already supplement feed with dried grubs daily.

 

[DobieLover]

We're experiencing our 1st molt ever. Do we need to collect& discard the lost feathers? If I leave them about will they attract mites or disease? I don't want to endanger my other girls who're not yet molding.

Also, is feeding high quality suet helpful? I already supplement feed with dried grubs daily.

My hens feathers will eventually go in the compost bin.
I feed a 19 - 20% protein complete feed year round. Higher protein is what they need to grow feathers.
I would not supplement with suet.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Feathers sort of magically disappear over time so I just leave them.

Suet is pretty much just fat, no? I wouldn't feed it to them. Protein is what they need... some folks on here supplement with cat food, or canned low salt fish.

 

[aart]

I don't do anything with shed feathers.
The ones that get scooped up with the poop off the boards go to compost.

I feed a 19 - 20% protein complete feed year round. Higher protein is what they need to grow feathers.
I would not supplement with suet.

Ditto Dat!^^^

Grubs can be fatty too...what kind of grubs?
Cat food can be too salty.
Mackerel or tuna packed in water with no salt is best.

 

[kerbotx]

I do collect the spent feathers, and toss them in with the compost, mainly bc they tend to collect in the corners, under the poop boards, where it's easy to sweep them up. I don't know that leaving them would cause problems, but it could prolong issues that already exist regarding mites/lice/etc, where spent feathers have eggs on them that could hatch & reinfest.

Extra protein is what they need right now, and suet is just candy for chickens. Layer feed is about 16% protein, you might consider switching to something higher like a starter/grower for chicks, all-flock, or meatbird feed. I give dried mealworms, and all the extra eggs (boiled & chopped) I can spare; I give less scratch, but more sunflower seeds - they love it when I soak them overnight!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Dry cat food can be up to 40% protein, and chickens generally like it. Aldi cat food is 32% protein @ about $8 for a 16 lb bag.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Cat food can be too salty.

I've heard this said before, but I don't know how to tell (or how anyone tells) because none of the 3 varieties I have at the moment (IAMS, Purina, Aldi) list sodium.

 

[townchicks]

I collect the pretty long wing and tail feathers, and sometimes the down, for art projects, but most of them stay in the run, and decompose like everything else. If your chickens have mites, they probably could add to the spreading, but then, you need to treat the chickens and their premises anyway, if they do. So I don't see the feathers being an issue, if they bug you, then you might be able to rake them up with a leaf rake.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

If you had a way of chopping up the feathers, they would make a great protein supplement (mixed with something else, of course).

 

[CCUK]

You wanna have pigeons then see how much feathers you have! I've never known such a small bird shed so many! My garden looks like a feather bomb has gone off! I sweep them all up and put them in muck bags. I've even hoovered the grass and the wire on the avairy to clean them up! The chickens aren't quite so bad.