By Dr. Justin Fowler
Special to Poultry Times
ATHENS, Ga. — There are more than 8,000 feathers covering the average broiler chicken. Those feathers make up about three to six percent of the average live weight of the bird. They are an important part of the integumentary system, with feather tracts covering over 75 percent of the bird's skin. Feathers play a key role in regulating body temperature and protecting the bird from external injury or infection.
The feather is made up of an elongated central shaft (rachis) with two vanes branching off each side. Each vane. . .
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