Molting hen lays egg

[All Ball]

My 4-year-old BCM started an early molt a few weeks ago, after an extended period of half-broodiness. Her tail is still gone and back neck feathers are tiny.

But today she very crankily laid an egg.

What a trooper!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine are starting to molt too. Congrats on the egg.

 

[All Ball]

so, oldhenld, is that not such a rare thing? I've always experienced hens taking off for a full molt before returning to lay....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

so, oldhenld, is that not such a rare thing? I've always experienced hens taking off for a full molt before returning to lay....

It is unusual, but good layers sometimes like to keep laying for a bit. Of course there's always a chance something pulled it's tail feathers out trying to grab it.

 

[aart]

Some birds that do a softer(slower) molt will keep laying...not too common tho.
If molt has just begun she may lay for awhile.
Agrees with OHLD that she may have had those feathers pulled,
if a feather is fully plucked a new one will start to grow immediately.

 

[All Ball]

No, not a pull - she was dumping feathers all over the place for weeks, then suddenly dumped the tail and neck feathers. Guess it's a partial and she's back into laying.

Funny thing re the slow molt - another girl, cream legbar, never took a molt or winter break - she's been laying straight through since her first egg around Thanksgiving 2015! Looks exceedingly bedraggled, though she has gotten new head/neck feathers. Sure hope she takes a break soon - her eggshell thickness is not wonderful and I worry about her bone density.

 

[aart]

Are you using supplemental lighting?

 

[All Ball]

No! It was pretty amazing!