Missing feathers, barbs still in tact

[RRChick21]

Yesterday, I noticed that one of my girls looked like she had injured her neck. She is one that is very skittish around us, so the only time I could inspect her is at night. I couldn’t see any broken skin, but the back of her neck and onto her back, she’s missing feathers but still has the barbs in there. She’s 8 months old, so I’ve never been through a molt, but am assuming the barbs come out too. My best guess is bullying, although I haven’t seen it, or maybe from a predator? I’d appreciate any experienced chicken parenting advice!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Those are feather shafts. She's molting.

 

[RRChick21]

Those are feather shafts. She's molting.

Oh that makes me so happy to hear! I read that they don’t have a big molt their first year, so I crossed that off the list. Will those shafts come out too or have they already grown back in?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh that makes me so happy to hear! I read that they don’t have a big molt their first year, so I crossed that off the list. Will those shafts come out too or have they already grown back in?

The feather pushes through the shaft.

https://www.gardenbetty.com/chicken-molt/

Stage 1 of molting​

When a chicken starts shedding her feathers, they’re replaced by brand new ones called blood feathers (or pin feathers).
Blood feathers look like little pins or porcupine quills. They’re so called because they have a blood supply flowing through the spikes (stiff hollow tubes known as feather shafts), similar to the way blood flows through veins.

This blood provides the necessary nutrients to a developing feather. Most of the blood is concentrated in the base of the shaft, while the feather itself is encased in a waxy coating in the tip of the shaft.

Sometimes the shaft will crack or break, causing the feather to bleed.
The pin feather stage is very painful for a hen, which is why most don’t like to be handled while it’s taking place.

Stage 2 of molting​

You might notice in your hens that the shafts start out as tiny nubs as they’re “pushed out” of the follicles, then become very spiky with a tightly rolled appearance.
As the shafts grow longer, the waxy casing loosens and the shafts take on a “furry” look as the feathers start to emerge from the tip. Oftentimes, a chicken will pull the shafts off her new feathers while she’s preening herself.

Stage 3 of molting​

Over the course of the molt and through normal preening, the waxy casing falls off to reveal the new feather.

Chickens look pretty scruffy at this stage in their molts, as they have a mix of old and new feathers falling out or growing back in.


Hope that helps.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Also, my polish molted new feathers in their first year. Very similar to the pattern on yours.

 

[RRChick21]

Also, my polish molted new feathers in their first year. Very similar to the pattern on yours.

Great to know and hear, thank you!