9 months old hens molting ??

[GermanChick]

2 of my hens (1 Barred Rock and 1 EE) are molting ....... I guess. The Barred Rock looks like a Turken right now, no feathers on the neck only the hard shafts of the new feathers sticking out. I always thought that they wouldn't molt the first year and start molting around 1 1/2 years in the fall. They all hatched in April 2010. Is this normal ???

 

[Morgan7782]

Yep! They go through a mini molt around 9 months old and usually lose neck feathers, and tail feathers and look AWFUL lol!!!! I have a 10 month old Brahma just now coming out of a molt.

I would up the protien in their food or snacks. Meat, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, and a few others are good for upping that! Somebody else can chime in as well with tips

but it is normal

 

[GermanChick]

Yes, they do look quite funny

I mixed some cat food in their daily left over "whatever is on hand" pan. And they get BOSS every day.
Learning something new every day. Never heard about that mini molt before

 

[Morgan7782]

My Brahma looked like she lost a lot of weight, but I think it was mostly feathers. When I felt her she seemed as plump as always, but the feather loss makes them look... Well like they got tossed into a bad plucker lol

 

[Sagenovese]

I see this is an old post but it seems to answer my own question. I don't recall my hens going through a molt so their first year, but right now I have one of eight born in April who seems to be going through this. Her neck looks like a pin cushion with all the pin feathers coming up. and she lost her tail and new tail feathers are clearly growing out. We got zapped with a sudden significant cold shift and while all of my chickens are fine, she is shivering. She also looks pale and she is cranky. She is Swedish Flower Hen and among my most friendly birds but now runs away and screams if you catch her. I hope this is temporary as she was such a nice bird. So, I looked for lice and her skin is for all I can see, free of any creepy crawlies. I have never had mites and have heard that they are tiny and hard to see, but she has pale pink skin and I don't see anything on it. The new feathers look healthy coming in, too. I have been feeding BOSS and fly larvae for protein and just today tossed a little cat food their way. I think she has lost weight and that is why she is shivering.

I know that the extra protein is good. But what about the anemia? Do folks add an iron source for molting chickens? Anyone have suggestions for the best way to do that, if I should?

I think she would feel better and eat more if she wasn't so pale. She seems to be getting pushed around, too. She fit right in with the flock before but now seems to be at the bottom of the pecking order. I think it is because she feels rotten.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Sally PB]

One of my three 8 month old girls is doing this now. She stopped laying, her comb and wattles shrank and got paler. Then one day I noticed her head had shrunk. No, not really. But she had lost the poofy feathers on her neck and had pin feather shafts showing, so it looked like her neck and head were smaller. She also lost the "flag" part of her tail. She'll just be all the prettier when she's back to normal and laying eggs... soon, I hope. I'm getting about 4 eggs per week out of the three of them.

 

[meganpemberton]

I’m going to echo the recent posts as well! This original question may be what was it 10 years old but SO GLAD I found it because it’s the first thing I’ve read/seen that didn’t say they go through their first moult after a year old. Noticed my 9 month old mix this morning looking like a porcupine! ofcourse immediately think lice/mites but other than the loss of feathers nothing else suggests that. Will still keep an eye out for that but all signs are pointing to an early mini moult. Once again Backyard Chickens is my favourite go to forum for all my chicklet needs/questions! Thanks for this question and all the answers and suggestions. Splash got her newest fav treat tonight… the mealworms!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Ditto!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Ditto!

X3 Some but not all of my brahmas molted in the nine month old range.

 

[KazAnder Farms]

Funny enough I have found a way to discourage the yearly molt by adding extra lights and keeping them on.