Another Molting Question and Cold Weather Concerns

The hygrometer was 5 Percent below 75% for outside and 4 percent below 75% for inside. I marked the weather station with a sharpie.

Now the remote is back out in the coop to get some REAL readings.

6F ouside today.
Was supposed to be -3F overnight.

Chickens a little slow to get started this morning but they are all out in the run with nice warm fermented food and warm water,

The wild turkey is back in the mountain ash tree eating berries. Just one at the moment. I hope she will be okay, she seems to be attached to the tree, there are a lot of berries still so good for her, hasn't bothered chickens or dogs, and clucks at me when I cluck at her.
 
We are about the same temperature outside. The winds are really starting to pick up. We will get wind chills from -20 -35 in the next few days. My chickens needed some motivation to get moving, but none are outside today. My turkeys are always outside during the day. The wild turkey will be fine as long as it can keep finding food.
 
We are about the same temperature outside. The winds are really starting to pick up. We will get wind chills from -20 -35 in the next few days. My chickens needed some motivation to get moving, but none are outside today. My turkeys are always outside during the day. The wild turkey will be fine as long as it can keep finding food.

Aww thanks @oldhenlikesdogs ! yeah that wind sounds maxed out! Somehow I don't have much wind all winter, coop also very protected (that was a lucky thing). Do stay warm with your flocks!

So to experiment with humidity I opened the big clean out door (just for today) on the coop all the way, since the girls are not in there, to see if it dropped the humidity or not! Will report back!

The experiment continues!

I am really trying to talk myself OUT of scattering food for that dang turkey. It knows where the berries are, anyway. I think it would NOT be a good idea to start feeding it. There is always a wild turkey flock somewhere about, but they are getting quite a bit closer lately (as in the front yard) probly due to Mountain Ash. The chickens have enjoyed the berries I got down for them too...it is outside of their fenced in area...

And here is a quote for that:

"I never saw a wild thing
Sorry for itself..."
~DH Lawrence
 
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Yeah probably not a good idea to feed the turkey.....
.....or any wild birds, I stopped doing that when I got chickens.
They carry pests and attract hawks to the yard.

Windy here too, only 12-24F tho.....but all the chickens in the coop for most the day.....not much wind break in run.
 
Well....Last juvenile molt usually happens around 4-5 months...then they usually do first full adult annual molt until around 18 months.
But....I've read of more than several 8-12 month old birds doing a full molt(slow or fast or in between) in the fall.....so it's not unprecedented.

What is your 'regular' feed?
Might think about a higher protein/low calcium feed...instead of all that other stuff.

I've had a couple birds go thru winter with bare skin showing, they did alright.
Agreed. However, my Welsummers routinely go through a molt at 8-9 months. Usually just neck and tail feathers, but enough to disrupt laying. It's almost like they feel left out with all the other birds molting.
 

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