7 month Chicken molt?

[sean_wonder]

Uhh no... they molt when they get their first feathers? I was referring to the loss of fully formed feathers.
Also here’s a picture of one side of the run. It’s a prefab with a much bigger extension.

 

[sean_wonder]

that’s... a concerning amount of feathers if they’re not molting/supposed to be molting?? It’s also below 32 degrees fahrenheit during the day and 20 some degrees at night. they have lots of water which i replace when it freezes. i gave them a jack o lantern so that’s why the pumpkin lid is in there, but they’ve been loosing feathers since before the pumpkin. we have one broody but... something just isn’t right if this isn’t molting.

 

[aart]

that’s... a concerning amount of feathers if they’re not molting/supposed to be molting??

Yeah, kinda.
Is broody setting, or done hatching or....and is she older?
Start looking at birds for pin feathers.

 

[sean_wonder]

She's setting, not hatching. I'm waiting to break her until it gets more dry. They are all the same age. I found the culprit-- Chickie Minaj. Has a ton of pin feathers on her back. Her back is mostly just down now-- no bald patches, but definitely not normal feathering. And no, we don't have a rooster.

 

[aart]

I found the culprit-- Chickie Minaj. Has a ton of pin feathers on her back. Her back is mostly just down now-- no bald patches, but definitely not normal feathering.

Down?...on a 7 month old? Can you post pics? What breed?

 

[sean_wonder]

Silkie x Easter Egger. Every bird has down feathers underneath their primary feathers (the glossy ones you see on top) in their adulthood. They're the feathers responsible for trapping heat. I am not home right now but sure can.

 

[aart]

Silkie x Easter Egger. Every bird has down feathers underneath their primary feathers (the glossy ones you see on top) in their adulthood. They're the feathers responsible for trapping heat. I am not home right now but sure can.

Ah OK. Always think of 'down' as chick fuzz only.
Then there's silky feathers, which I've never seen in person but sure appear to be 'down-like'.

 

[sean_wonder]

No worries! I thought that too at some point haha. Here’s the pictures! Her face is dirty because I’ve been putting Vasoline on her comb cause it’s freezing and below... then she rubs her face in the mud while free ranging and it’s nasty. I also included all the feathers that came off when I was just trying to take the photo shoot! She was the first to develop a comb and is the biggest out of all of them... second to lay though. You can see her down sticking out from under the primaries. Also has pin feathers on her neck, shoulders (not wings) and breast.