Help Chickens through a MOLT. It can happen ANY time of the year!

[ADozenGirlz]

Many of my chickens look pretty haggared right now and it's the middle of summer, not when we ordinarily expect molting to occur. Molting presents some unique issues for backyard chicken keepers to contend with and I've written about how to recognize it as well as how you can help your peeps get through it more easily here:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/12/molting-what-is-it-and-how-to-manage-it.html

Poor Phoebe needs a sweater!

Feather re-growth during a molt; these are called pin feathers and they have a vein in them that will bleed if cut or injured. It is painful to the chicken to be handled while regrowing feathers.

Agnes, an Australorp of mine, embarassing, but not quite as bad as Phoebe.



Oprah, a Buff Orpington, molting.

 

[speckledhen]

A chicken's first molt is NOT about the time of year, but about their age, then they molt approximately the same time each year after that.

The first molt happens about 18-20 months of age, give or take a month.

 

[bj taylor]

as a progressing chicken owner, i go through stages of chicken keeping that keep surprising me. i haven't given any real thought to molting. i guess i better.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

A chicken's first molt is NOT about the time of year, but about their age, then they molt approximately the same time each year after that.

The first molt happens about 18-20 months of age, give or take a month.

Actually, I haven't found that to be true of my flock. Each chicken is an individual and will molt based on factors beyond age, including: stress, feeding regimen and lighting conditions. The bantam Cochin Frizzle in my photo above molts several times each year. She grows her feathers back and looks fabulous for about six minutes before she begins molting again (slight exaggeration, but you get the point). I know we all want clear guidelines and to be able to expect certain things to happen the way we read them in the books, but each chicken marches to the beat of its own drummer and is affected by lots of factors that don't fit neatly into a formula. In that way, they are much like children. As soon as you think you've got them figured out, they change the rules on ya!
Phoebe on 9/4/10 at 11 months old.

Phoebe on 7/4/11, approximately 7-8 months after her last molt

 

[speckledhen]

The first big molt does happen at a certain age range. That is certainly true. However, a broody period will throw a chicken into a molt every single time due to reduced food and water. Bad husbandry will cause a bird to molt at bizarre times as well, again, usually related to reduced nutrition.
I wasn't speaking of special circumstances, but regular molting periods.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

The first big molt does happen at a certain age range. That is certainly true. However, a broody period will throw a chicken into a molt every single time due to reduced food and water. Bad husbandry will cause a bird to molt at bizarre times as well, again, usually related to reduced nutrition.
I wasn't speaking of special circumstances, but regular molting periods.

I think my point may have been misunderstood. In posting a photo of Phoebe, I meant to illustrate the fact that chickens are individuals and will not necessarily happen at the 18-20 month or 17-21 month age range you suggested. She was molting before 11 months old (first photo above). There are many factors that contribute to molting and some chickens fit into the 'regular' molting periods formula. Unfortunately for Phoebe and several other hens of mine, that is certainly true.