9 month old chicken molting

[Sahraschweiss]

Okay, so most sources about molting say the first major molt is around 18 months.

I have a flock of 20 that I got as chicks in March (some in May). Three of my March girls stopped laying in October (they are the only ones that stopped laying) two girls lost some neck feathers at that time and regained them by December. The third girl started dropping feathers mid December, she's getting pins, but is still losing feathers.

Why are my first year girls molting at 9 months?

I had a recent fecal float and it was clean. I'm not finding mites. I'm really at a loss.

I'm in Missouri and our temperatures have been up and down. Christmas morning was 9 degrees fahrenheit. Today is 56. Next week it is it's a couple of days in the 50s then a couple in the 20s then back to the 50s. On Christmas morning when it was 9 degrees, my late molt girl went outside with her flock buddies and ended up with a touch of frostbite.

What do I do for my late molt girl?

 

[aart]

They'll be fine.

Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.

my late molt girl went outside with her flock buddies and ended up with a touch of frostbite.

Frostbite where....got pics?

 

[Sahraschweiss]

They'll be fine.

Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.

Frostbite where....got pics?

Comb. It blistered.

 

[aart]

Yikes!
She must have had some water on there?
Not much to do, best to leave it alone.
Is the pic from the first day or today?
Nothing to do with molting tho.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

That was day two. The first day I brought her in the house at 9 that morning. The back points were white. As she warmed up they went purplish white. Then some swelling. The blisters became obvious the next morning. Evening of day two they popped, so I covered heavily with neosporin. I haven't treated today. She's so uncomfortable that Im trying not to handle her if I can. To help with feathering I have increased protein by adding some tuna to her diet.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

Yikes!
She must have had some water on there?
Not much to do, best to leave it alone.
Is the pic from the first day or today?
Nothing to do with molting tho.

The coop humidity was 36%. Is that too high?

 

[aart]

That was day two. The first day I brought her in the house at 9 that morning. The back points were white. As she warmed up they went purplish white. Then some swelling. The blisters became obvious the next morning. Evening of day two they popped, so I covered heavily with neosporin. I haven't treated today. She's so uncomfortable that Im trying not to handle her if I can. To help with feathering I have increased protein by adding some tuna to her diet.

Not sure what to tell you. IME white is mild frostbite.
I never treat or bring my birds inside with frostbite.
Have never seen blisters like that.

The coop humidity was 36%. Is that too high?

Actually seems very low.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

Not sure what to tell you. IME white is mild frostbite.
I never treat or bring my birds inside with frostbite.
Have never seen blisters like that.

Actually seems very low.

Some of the websites I checked said swelling and blisters were possible. Nothing is black yet, so I think it will heal up okay. I brought her in for several reasons, cold, frostbite, molting, and the other girls were starting to pick her pins.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes/