Question:hey there, i have a pet chicken and she sometimes pull her feathers off. i think she does this once a year. does that means anything? is it a problem? is there anything wrong? and also how long is a chicken's life span?
Answers:
No this is normal. Chickens molt once, sometimes even twice a year. Molting is when your hen looses her old feathers and grows new ones. So she is fine.
Chickens should live any where from 5-10 years. But, if you don't cage your birds at night they most likely will be eaten by preditors by the time they turn four years old.
Good luck
She's molting. Perfectly normal once a year. If she starts doing it more often then you might have a problem.
I give our chickens vitamix when they are going through their molt as it is a stressful time for their bodies. You can buy it at the grain store. It is a yellow powder you mix with their water(made for chicks) Inexpensive-about $3.00 We have had chickens that have lived 8 months and we have one that is nearing 6 years. Egg bound chickens are a common cause of death.
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