balding hen?!

[mistylady]

One of my hens (not a year old even) looked kinda funny the other day. She looked like her feathers around her comb were gone. I looked closer and they are like the the soft feather part is gone and the shaft is left. A few days later it moved down her neck a little. Now it looks like the feathers are coming in through the shafts. Is this molting? Otherwise she looks healthy - no wieghtloss or sickness. Thank you for any help!

 

[speckledhen]

It's molting. The quills are feathers coming in where other older ones have fallen out.

 

[mistylady]

Thank you! Thank you!

 

[speckledhen]

You're welcome! If it will make you feel better (though if you haven't seen this, it may make you feel worse, LOL), here is one of my poor girls in hard molt. She's nothing but quills all over now and looks worse than in the picture.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
I have a black sex link that looks even worse than that!

The new feathers coming in are green!
I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.

 

[mistylady]

Oh my! I had no idea! I thought they would lose a feather here and there but not that many at once! I hope my little hen holds onto most of her feathers until winter lets up! At least I won't panic now when she looks like your little gal! Thank you for the heads up on what I'll be seeing!

 

[mistylady]

Quote:
I have a black sex link that looks even worse than that!

The new feathers coming in are green!
I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.

Green feathers! Christmas chicken! Red comb and green feathers!

And I love your avatar! Too cute!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Lee, that is Kate, Tux and Olivia's sister. She looks miserable and probably feels it, too, but she's still her friendly, sweet self. Most of the girls hate to be picked up when they're full of quills. It's almost like they're self-conscious, LOL.

 

[gritsar]

Ummmmmmmmm speckled broke a BYC rule and posted a pic of a young lady in moult! I'mma gonna tell!

Actually two of my buffs look that bad right now. My darks have finally finished theirs, I hope.

 

[speckledhen]

I know. Kate gave me permission as long as I didn't show her as she looks today.

It ain't pretty, believe me.