Is She Molting?

[happyozarkgirl]

Our 16 month Orpington started losing some (not a lot) of feathers a few weeks ago and has stopped laying. Is this possibly a slow and early molt? We were recently on a 6 day vacation, and a couple local farm girls did our chicken sitting. She was laying before we left. Would emotional separation trigger an early molt? It's still August, so this seems weird. The other three "girls" (two Eggers and an Australorpe) are not losing feathers and laying fine. Nava, the Orpington, is eating well and running around. Doesn't seem to be ill.

 

[BlueBaby]

I think that it's about the time for that molting to start, and the weather has been weird this summer.

 

[happyozarkgirl]

OK, that makes sense. I'm a newbie and expected molting to be in the fall - and that all of them would molt at the same time. Guess not. Thanks!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Molting can happen almost any time of year, but "fall molts" can be anywhere from July to as late as December-ish.

 

[Callender Girl]

A couple of my girls have started their "fall" molt already; it looks like a feather factory under my A-frame coop. Marietta, my BLRW, barely has any feathers left on her neck, and one of my two Salmon Faverolles is losing feathers like crazy, too. My Prairie Bluebell Egger molted through most of last month and is finally looking like her old self again.

If your girl seems otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry (and, just for the record, I AM a world-class worrier).