questions about pin feathers (not an emergency, just don’t know where to put this)

[kelzey]

my 16 week old mixed silkie cockerels have so many pin feathers on their necks, they look like actual porcupines! is it just them growing in their long adult feathers? one of my boys has waaaaaay more than his brother. im just wondering about what causes this and how long it takes them to go away, and is there anything i can do or give them to help with the process?

 

[MGG]

my 16 week old mixed silkie cockerels have so many pin feathers on their necks, they look like actual porcupines! is it just them growing in their long adult feathers? one of my boys has waaaaaay more than his brother. im just wondering about what causes this and how long it takes them to go away, and is there anything i can do or give them to help with the process? View attachment 2478593View attachment 2478596View attachment 2478599View attachment 2478606

Cute birds! They're just molting in their big boy feathers. Molting is the process where birds lose their old feathers and grow in new ones. Your boys are at the end of molting their neck feathers, and they're getting in their pretty new ones. Extra protein (a handful of cat food or mealworms) is a great help to molting birds. It helps replace the protein used to make their new feathers.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Chickens usually have a harder time shedding those sheaths around the feathers on the tops of their head because they can’t reach those spaces as well. There’s nothing to be concerned about. With my friendlier girls I’ll sometimes pick at them a little to give the girls a hand, but that’s totally unnecessary.

 

[kelzey]

Cute birds! They're just molting in their big boy feathers. Molting is the process where birds lose their old feathers and grow in new ones. Your boys are at the end of molting their neck feathers, and they're getting in their pretty new ones. Extra protein (a handful of cat food or mealworms) is a great help to molting birds. It helps replace the protein used to make their new feathers.

yeah i thought so! and thank you, they are very sweet. i have some mealies coming soon so they are gonna love that- maybe i’ll try giving them a lil bit of cat food! although i don’t think they will like it, they are so weirdly picky.. if they don’t like it though, my older girls will. there was a bit of cat food left outside that got wet and mushy from rain and the girls gobbled it all up like they haven’t eaten in weeks

 

[MGG]

yeah i thought so! and thank you, they are very sweet. i have some mealies coming soon so they are gonna love that- maybe i’ll try giving them a lil bit of cat food! although i don’t think they will like it, they are so weirdly picky.. if they don’t like it though, my older girls will. there was a bit of cat food left outside that got wet and mushy from rain and the girls gobbled it all up like they haven’t eaten in weeks

They sure are cute! That's good, they'll love those. Haha! Some of my birds are super picky too.

 

[kelzey]

Chickens usually have a harder time shedding those sheaths around the feathers on the tops of their head because they can’t reach those spaces as well. There’s nothing to be concerned about. With my friendlier girls I’ll sometimes pick at them a little to give the girls a hand, but that’s totally unnecessary.

that makes sense! i figured so. it looks so funny, my boys are very docile so i’m sure they wouldn’t mind if i tried that a bit.

 

[Lucy Brown]

Cute birds! They're just molting in their big boy feathers. Molting is the process where birds lose their old feathers and grow in new ones. Your boys are at the end of molting their neck feathers, and they're getting in their pretty new ones. Extra protein (a handful of cat food or mealworms) is a great help to molting birds. It helps replace the protein used to make their new feathers.

I agree I had a Golden Polish Cockerel that had feathers like that. I went away within a week

 

[Cupcake1243]

Chickens usually have a harder time shedding those sheaths around the feathers on the tops of their head because they can’t reach those spaces as well. There’s nothing to be concerned about. With my friendlier girls I’ll sometimes pick at them a little to give the girls a hand, but that’s totally unnecessary.

Do you mean pick at the pin feathers??? Im kinda new and i have the exact same problem!!!!

 

[Lucy Brown]

Do you mean pick at the pin feathers??? Im kinda new and i have the exact same problem!!!!

yes our girls picked at the feathers and little flakes came off

 

[Cupcake1243]

ok !!!