TOO MANY FEATHERS?

[unbaked pegga]

I started out last year with 2 hens. A week ago I lost my buff orpington sweet Lilac to coccoidosis. I got 2 juvenile hens 1 buff and 1 jubilee orpingtons this week and they are still separated from my one surviving buff. I have a little "peck and play" enclosure where than can be on real ground. But I am seeing a lot of feathers on the ground. They aren't fighting, I wonder if that is from the stress of shipping, and new surroundings? Also, how big should they be before letting them out with the "big" chicken?

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[21hens-incharge]

Mine are doing something like that. I see feathers on the ground in the juvenile pen when mine hit about 10 weeks or so in age. Never been a long term issue. More like a little mini molt.
When to let them be together depends some on the behavior of the older hen. If they are big enough to not get killed in a small scuffle and she is not hostile I think you can let them be together after continuing your current set up in like a week or 2.
If there was a disease your older buff being so close to them would already be exposed or have exposed them so I would no longer worry about quarantine.
Mine are still separated since a few of my older hens are very very mean. My baby Brahma's are already the size of my 5 year old Delaware. I wont put them together because of the Wyandottes and a bad attitude.

 

[aart]

Chickens go thru 2-3 feather changes before 1 year of age.