For the new folks that haven't experienced a molt yet.

[Happy Chooks]

Not all of them go through molts this bad. Some of mine just look raggedy for a while. But when this girl blew so many feathers at once, I just had to take a picture.

 

[featherz]

Not ALL chickens look that bad, but it's good to be prepared...I've had four 18 monthers molt so far and they just looked a bit scruffy for about a month but not bald. They already have full feathers and the combs are starting to pink up again. I also have a nine month mini molter who just lost her head feathers.

 

[boogiedog]

Great pic and great thread. I had a few have their first really hard molt this year and what I saw first had me thinking there had been a predator attack - literally a pile of white feathers in one isolated area of the run. I couldn't find a body or body parts - and fully expected a major murder had just occurred. THEN I saw my white Americana...naked. She looked like the OPs buttercup. It was stunning at first. But happily, like hair, feathers grow back very quickly. But even when you are expecting it, when you first see it it can be quite shocking.

 

[stone_family3]

LOL, I just experienced my first molt with my EE. Since she didn't look like she was missing many feathers I seriously was doing a head count and checking them all over. I thought a raccoon had got back in the coop again. There were feathers every where. I gathered a lot of them up and will be giving them to my rabbits when they make nests.

 

[GhostRider65]

Quote:
Hens that are laying have bright, full, red combs. Hens that are not laying have dull, shriveled combs. This can be caused from molting, brooding, or sickness.

Now I have been reading here there and everywhere for aa year now about chickens and this is the firsst time I have seen this,,,,,,,,,,, TYSVM for the info, I never even would of guessed that the comb would shrivel.

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
Good to see she is her beautiful self again. Thanks for the post.

 

[ange]

MY hens are molting and wondering when I WILL EVER get eggs esp if they molt in winter and spring please advise

 

[DMRippy]

Good thread.

BTW my two girls that just regrew their feathers... they are a different color now. They are both white, were white, now they have black flecks kinda like a splash only very light. Still mostly white, but though it was odd they are different. Like having new chickens

Now when do they start laying again?

 

[henney penny]

Faverolle in molt and rooster damage.She is all feathered in now and is beautiful again

 

[centrarchid]

It would be nice to have a series of photographs showing progression of molting cycle, especially where it is taken place at the usual rate. I am developing one on progression of feather sets in young wild-type chickens showing three feather sets before adulthood. Progression will include second adult feather set which is distinguishable from first in at least some breeds. I will not have same for more typical production breeds and they do progress differently, especially in respect to how flight feathers are replaced. Suggestions relating to molting cycle and nutrition that have long been a concern amoung game chicken folks could also be addressed. Such an effort might be worthy of a sticky status since molt questions are so frequent.