So this is my first time going thru molting. All of my chickens, 4 are about 17 months and the other 3 are 7 months. Just wanted to make sure this is normal.
Molting?
- Thread starter 7littlegirls
- Start date
Howdy 7littlegirls
Yep .. normal.
Normal is probably not the right word to use cos they look anything but normal
The moult usually starts around the head and neck region but some start in other areas also. There are some nice looking pin feathers showing.
Increasing their protein intake during the moult will help with feather regrowth.
Yep .. normal.
Normal is probably not the right word to use cos they look anything but normal
The moult usually starts around the head and neck region but some start in other areas also. There are some nice looking pin feathers showing.
Increasing their protein intake during the moult will help with feather regrowth.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank you! Just wanted to make sure. She is the only one that looks like this, but I do have feathers from them all. And less eggs
junebuggena
Crowing
Totally normal. Some birds molt whole areas at once, and have very noticeable molts. Others drop just a few feathers at a time, and you barely notice their molt, but those are the ones that seem to take forever to finish molting.
Molting is a bummer for them and for us. Less eggs and uncomfortable hens.
She is looking like a normal molt to me. Some seem to drop nearly every feather at once and look horridly miserable while others drop a feather here and there while looking only a bit ragged. junebuggena is totally right about that and that the slow ones take forever to get back to laying.
Just know that them thar pin feathers are uncomfortable to them when we touch them so they may also get more twitchy about being handled.
She is looking like a normal molt to me. Some seem to drop nearly every feather at once and look horridly miserable while others drop a feather here and there while looking only a bit ragged. junebuggena is totally right about that and that the slow ones take forever to get back to laying.
Just know that them thar pin feathers are uncomfortable to them when we touch them so they may also get more twitchy about being handled.
- Thread starter
- #6
She does seem a bit moody, and so are others.
My first experience with a hard moult freaked me out!
I came home to find Dusty ‘hiding’ under the coop and black feathers everywhere .. I thought she had been attacked and raced over to pick her up and check her over.
First mistake! She did not like being picked up and I have since learnt that as 21hens-incharge has mentioned, those pin feathers are very tender.
Anyways, Dusty has been through two hard moults and each time she has been moping around and keeps her distance from the rest of the flock; one sad little hen.
I prescribe lots of no touching TLC and protein.
I came home to find Dusty ‘hiding’ under the coop and black feathers everywhere .. I thought she had been attacked and raced over to pick her up and check her over.
First mistake! She did not like being picked up and I have since learnt that as 21hens-incharge has mentioned, those pin feathers are very tender.
Anyways, Dusty has been through two hard moults and each time she has been moping around and keeps her distance from the rest of the flock; one sad little hen.
I prescribe lots of no touching TLC and protein.
Canned mackerel is a good way to boost protein in a molting hen. Mine love it anytime but seem to need it during molt to keep feather eating under control. Nasty habit if they start and it becomes just that a habit that is hard to break.
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