A Molting Story

[3KillerBs]

Chipotle is a tailless and very sorry looking lady this morning.

 

[3KillerBs]

I know that it's good as an egg-layer for her to molt late, hard, and fast but she looks so small and pathetic right now.

She's still dropping feathers as she walks around and her comb looks ... I guess the best word is "deflated".

If I didn't know what was happening I'd be sure she was ill.

 

[3KillerBs]

I can't get a good photo, but she's getting really bare on her chest.

She made sure to get her share of the green weeds I tossed into the run a few minutes ago.

 

[3KillerBs]

 

[3KillerBs]

The bare patches on her chest are now prominent. She's also lost a lot of her wing coverts.

She looks ridiculously small -- smaller than the 13-week Australorp chicks.

 

[3KillerBs]

Daylight photos.

Look how tiny and fragile she looks next to Dumpling!

(A totally inaccurate impression because she's my bold explorer who -- when she has flight feathers -- flies out of and back into the pen at will and who always investigates strange and interesting happenings).

 

[3KillerBs]

Some more photos from various times during the holiday weekend and tonight.

I couldn't get a good angle tonight, but her tail is starting to come in again already.

 

[3KillerBs]

I think she's through the worst of it. Her tail is coming back though there are still some loose contour feathers.

 

[linguini]

I think she's through the worst of it. Her tail is coming back though there are still some loose contour feathers.

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Thanks for the photo essay! It's fun to watch. All my flock of 8 (about 18 months old now) are going through molting the last two months. A 6th one just started couple days ago. It interesting to observe them - and some social dynamics change among the flock as well. So much to learn from them everyday!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I know that it's good as an egg-layer for her to molt late, hard, and fast but she looks so small and pathetic right now.

She's still dropping feathers as she walks around and her comb looks ... I guess the best word is "deflated".

If I didn't know what was happening I'd be sure she was ill.

My WTB was the same way, her modified pea comb looked like a pale tiny little flap of skin on her head