Official Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Winner!

my girl really is just molting. it started on her head and neck and has been moving slowly southward. the new feathers are coming in above while the old feathers are falling out below. she has no bare skin. she just looks a little ragged right now.

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I was going to post my girls but I think Alex wins. Poor baby....hope she gets to sleep in a warm spot.

Being newer to chickens than many of you, I don't actually know what a molt SHOULD look like, and how long it SHOULD last! Looking at some of the entries from other people, I'm not the only one. As you can see from my pictures, some of my birds have lost feathers, and others look full and fluffy. These photos were taken in the early spring, but the condition of these birds has remained the same. They are eating well, loving scratching in the grass for bugs, etc. But their feathers have not grown back. We have no rooster to cause the damage. Are they self mutilating? I saw several similar birds in posts #40, 41, and 55. I did dust my birds around June, but saw no change. I really don't think it is a problem with mites, for several reasons. I've never seen the mites, there was no change when dusted (along with a coop spraying), and no additional hens have had any feather loss except the original birds. I heard from one person that some birds never regain feathers after their molt - any thoughts on this??? Thanks!


ps - and yeah, poor Alex is definitely the candidate for "Ugliest Chicken"! But I'm sure her beauty on the inside shines through!!

Ok now you can see Alex " Shine " I told her that all of you were just Jealous, so she wanted to put on her dress and really rub it in your faces, ain't she the most beautiful petite hen you've ever seen??

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Your birds look like feather picked birds. Mine looked the same when I had a picker in the bunch. Do you have one or a couple birds that don't look like that? Usually the picker doesn't get picked on, and will have all of their feathers. If you do have a picker, they either need more protein (which they should have anyway to get their feathers to grow back) or they are too cramped, or they are bored. Watch them for a while and see if you see any picking going on.

love the dress Alex!

This is my little Golden Sebright hen, Dudt. How looks absolutely terrible next to her sister that has not begun molting yet. I tried to get a picture of the two of them but the other escaped the coop before I could!

Nava,
I howled when I saw your photo of your horse in the kitchen!! I LOVE it!!
This is a photo I use on FaceBook. It is titled......'I have horses at the front door, but I haven't let them in'. Smoke is looking in the door, China is in the background and Otter is heading to the door.
I realize we're talking about molting, but I couldn't resist.........now back to molting chickens.

I am very new to chicken rearing, but why would they lose their feathers in September, prior to the cold weather starting? I live in the NE, will this happen to my girls??? Scared

Sharon

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Such a princess!