Failure to molt

[chickyturkeyemulady]

I have a flock of about 20 SLW layers. I've been raising them for the past 20+ years, and for the first time, I had two of my mature hens (not first year girls) fail to molt this past fall/winter. Now that it's the end of April, they are laying regularly, but they have the most ragged looking plumage. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas why they would fail to molt?

 

[DobieLover]

Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes. Nearly every season I seem to have at least one that doesn't molt or molts so lightly I can't tell she's replaced any feathers. Like you, I've had some very raggedy looking chickens come spring. They did molt the next season though.

Any ideas why they would fail to molt?

Not a clue.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Yes. Nearly every season I seem to have at least one that doesn't molt or molts so lightly I can't tell she's replaced any feathers. Like you, I've had some very raggedy looking chickens come spring. They did molt the next season though.

Good to know- I have a 1 1/2 year old girl who only molted some of her head and chest feathers last fall. Her back half looks terrible Hopefully she will do a full molt this year!