Should I be picking up feathers?

[Boise-girls]

Seems like a silly question, but now that we've had a few mornings in the mid-to-low 30s, it looks like a feather factory in the coop, run and chicken yard. Should I be picking up the molted feathers, or leave them to mix in with the litter, bedding and mulch?

 

[cherrynberry]

Seems like a silly question, but now that we've had a few mornings in the mid-to-low 30s, it looks like a feather factory in the coop, run and chicken yard. Should I be picking up the molted feathers, or leave them to mix in with the litter, bedding and mulch?

I personally leave them. Molting season could get a little crazy, but they seem to disappear over time. I have a larger lot though, so a lot of it gets blown away on windy days.

Chickens certainly do not mind feathers, as long as their coop and run are cleaned.

 

[Boise-girls]

A little mystery for the neighbors! Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can do it either way. I pick up the ones in the coop and add them in my compost bin (feather meal being often used as a soil additive). The ones rolling around the run just stay out there until they break down in the litter.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I save the biggest tail and wing feathers so that I can "find" them "randomly" when the neighbor kids are over so that they can make quill pens and practice cursive with my ink well...

...And for those of you who are not lunatics like me - ignore them and they fly away eventually.

 

[Mrs. K]

LizzyJo - I want to come to your house and try that cursive!

I use the clean big ones to clean my sewing machine.

 

[LizzzyJo]

LizzyJo - I want to come to your house and try that cursive!

I use the clean big ones to clean my sewing machine.

C'mon over anytime! Cut the tips with scissors about 1/4 inch at an angle. People think they're writing the dang constitution or something - even my husband is like "can I try?"

 

[3KillerBs]

I just let them become one with the bedding.

 

[Thetinyfarm]

I have 27 chickens. Mine will get vacuumed up and composted.