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

[Happy Chooks]

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My production red lost all of her flight feathers except the outer 3 on each wing. They are growing back in now (about 1/2 way in) and she hasn't yet lost the outer 3.

 

[Marcymom3]

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X2!!

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
My production red lost all of her flight feathers except the outer 3 on each wing. They are growing back in now (about 1/2 way in) and she hasn't yet lost the outer 3.

That sounds like the rapid replacement pattern typical of production breeds where progression goes in step of three on wing flight feathers. My games and red jungle fowl replace feathers singly over a much longer stretch of time. The rapid feather change I think is more demanding on birds in respect to protein requirements during feather replacement.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Even though she's still growing in some hackle feathers, her comb is brightening up and looking less shriveled now. Eggs coming again soon!

 

[Shayna]

She's a pretty girl. She looked really pitiful in the middle of molting! Thanks for this thread, it may save me a freak-out someday!

 

[hockmangirl]

Thank you so, so much for starting this thread! I would have had a heart attack had I seen this in one (or more) of my girls. I am aware of the molt, but was unaware that it could get that bad! I probably would have had that chicken sleeping in the house with me, so I could keep an eye on her. And also as with one of the posts above, would definitely be putting little sweaters and booty's on her. Thankfully mine all love to be handled. Still may do that for my girls especially if they molt during the winter. They are still pullets yet, so I have a bit of a wait.

I wonder if anyone else has ever tried doing the chicken booty thing?! I know it sounds silly, but my girls REALLY hate to have cold feet. They walk around picking up and shaking their feet (like a cat does) for awhile when they first come out of the coop in the morning and usually after their naps. Also sweaters?! I'm a crafter, and was wondering for one, my own chickens, and two, whether there was a market for such a thing? Thanks in advance!

Kitty

 

[Happy Chooks]

No problem.

The first winter I did worry about her being cold as we had a really bad couple of weeks in the 20's at night when she blew her feathers. I went out to check on her and found her squished between 2 of the fluffiest girls all nice and toasty.

Funny, nobody noticed her mega spurs in the first picture.

She's one of my original girls when I started with chickens.

 

[champer]

Lol, I didn't notice the spurs, they are scary looking! My little banty game hen has just lost all the feathers on her head and neck, looks like a turken!

 

[nakstk]

funny but sad story about people seeing a molt for the first time. This is our first year of raising chickens so I am very excited about them and I talk about them with my mom. My Mom works as a cashier and has lots of people come through her line and they always chit chat. Well this one lady was talking chickens with her and the lady said that her son had to move home recently and was helping out around the house including feeding, watering a gathering eggs. He noticed one of the chickens looked sick and was losing a lot a feathers so he killed it thinking it was "sick". When his mom came home he told her that he had to kill a chicken because it was sick and he didnt want it getting the other sick too. Poor guy felt so bad when his mom told him that was her best layer and she was molting.

 

[hunterblu123]

Mine just started to molt last week. There are not as bad as your girl in the first pic. How long does it take to them to finish molting?