what do you do with molted feathers?

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

Would love to hear what people do with the old feathers that chickens shed when they molt. I used a few to make inked holiday cards last year, but that only took 5-6 feathers. Our girls are going through their first molt and there are piles and piles of feathers all over the coop and yard that I'd love to use somehow. I've heard that they can make good fertilizer for plants but will probably take a while to decompose?

 

[sawilliams]

My girls sort of have a deep litter think going on in half their run (sloped ground) I usually just leave the feathers to decompose and use the black gold for the garden and potting soil. Other feathers around there yard get mowed over or eaten by the dogs. Sorry I don't do anything cool with them I have to many other things going

 

[pennyJo1960]

Many of us us have deep litter method and use the cleaned out as compost for our gardens so we do not separate the feathers

 

[Helloworld]

You know, you can buy an old food processer and grind them and feed back to animals? High protein.

Worm farmers mix with worm dirt for protein food. Worms love them.

Cat toys

Feather dusters.

 

[Birdinhand]

feathers readily compost and are about 40% nitrogen, but of course are mostly air, so don't add up that much. honestly I don't really see them pile up that much, the chickens eat the stray feathers or turn them into the deep litter and then once or twice a year I cycle the excess litter through our insulated tumbler composter and spread it on our fruit tress, bushes and garden. its better than anything I can buy!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You know, you can buy an old food processer and grind them and feed back to animals? High protein...

The protein in feathers is almost indigestible so it is not worthwhile feeding feathers to chickens who have a primitive digestive system and thus have trouble digesting feathers.

Also if feathers were good eats you would think that the hawks and foxes would eat the feathers first then eat the rest of your chicken later. Instead the opposite is what happens.

When your birds pick and eat feathers they are begging you for help.

 

[RWise]

I let them lay there, the girls eat the smaller ones and the grand kids get the big ones,,,,

 

[JedJackson]

I also don't see many feathers laying around their coops and runs. But they go on the compost heap when I find them, and get turned in immediately. Otherwise they will just blow away.

 

[aart]

I don't do anything with them, they all end up in the run where they slowly degrade.
The feathers from slaughtering/plucking that I dump in the woods take forever to break down.

Worm farmers mix with worm dirt for protein food. Worms love them.

Hmmmm....wish I still had a worm composter..would love to see that.

feathers readily compost

You must keep your tumbler 'hot'?

The protein in feathers is almost indigestible so it is not worthwhile feeding feathers to chickens who have a primitive digestive system and thus have trouble digesting feathers.

Then why do I see the chickens eat feathers...for the fiber??

 

[Callender Girl]

I am just getting ready to clean out coops today. Thanks for the idea about using the feathers for inked holiday cards. That sounds easy enough that I could actually complete the project (unlike the countless boxes of yarn that will NEVER become handcrafted works of art).