Technical Abstract: Genetically featherless and feathered broiler siblings were used to test the contribution of feathers and feather follicles to the numbers of aerobic bacteria, E. coli, and Campylobacter in whole carcass rinse samples taken immediately after carcasses were defeathered for either 30 or 60 s. Numbers of spoilage bacteria were counted after the same fully processed carcasses were stored for 1 wk at 2 øC. In each of three replications, 28 11-wk-old, mixed sex, genetically featherless or feathered broilers were processed in a laboratory processing facility. Immediately after individual defeathering, carcasses were sampled using a carcass rinse technique. Carcasses were eviscerated, immersion chilled at 2 øC for 30 min, individually bagged, and stored for one week at 2 øC, after which all carcasses were rinsed again, with enumeration of spoilage bacteria in the rinsate. There were no significant differences (P ó 0.05) between the featherless and feathered broilers in numbers of aerobic bacteria, E. coli, and Campylobacter in rinse samples taken immediately after defeathering and no differences between carcasses picked for either 30 or 60 s. There were no differences in numbers of spoilage bacteria after 1 wk of refrigeration for any of the feather presence/picking length combinations. Although the defeathering step in poultry processing has been identified as a site for bacterial contamination from the intestinal tract and cross-contamination between carcasses, the presence of feathers and feather follicles does not make a significant difference in carcass bacterial contamination immediately after defeathering or in spoilage bacteria after one wk of refrigeration.