Another possible molting question

[Mistyray_lynn]

I tried to do some searching but couldn't find an answer...

I have 6 hens of various types. (one RIR, one Black Astralorp, 3 laced wyandots, 1 barred rock) and a Polish rooster. The flock is about 10 months old. They are all acting quite normal with two exceptions. 1) I am only getting one egg a day for last 6 weeks or so. And 2) there seem to be just a few ruffled feathers on several of the chickens.

Before this I was getting 5 eggs a day. I thought molting included loss of feathers, but I haven't really seen anything other than a feather here and ther.

Is this molting? If not, what happened to my eggs?

Thank you!

 

[Pinky]

They could be going through a light molt.
If it's cold where you are, that could also be causing a decrease in egg production.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

I tried to do some searching but couldn't find an answer...

I have 6 hens of various types. (one RIR, one Black Astralorp, 3 laced wyandots, 1 barred rock) and a Polish rooster. The flock is about 10 months old. They are all acting quite normal with two exceptions. 1) I am only getting one egg a day for last 6 weeks or so. And 2) there seem to be just a few ruffled feathers on several of the chickens.

Before this I was getting 5 eggs a day. I thought molting included loss of feathers, but I haven't really seen anything other than a feather here and ther.

Is this molting? If not, what happened to my eggs?

Thank you!

I believe what you are seeing is the beginning of a molt. My birds are 9.5 months old I have 13 and all but 3 are either in the first stages or coming out of their molts, and it took about 3 weeks after they stopped laying for the feathers to really start shedding and now it's a huge explosion every day I go to the coop. My Partridge Rocks are really going thru the feathers all lost their tails and neck feathers and the new ones have begun to sprout. They all look pathetic, but we feed a little extra protein and all seem to be growing in nicely. I would hope by the start of spring they will have a beautiful new coat of feathers and all be laying again too. Wait a few days/week and you'll start seeing the feathers everywhere.

 

[Mistyray_lynn]

Thank you for this. We do have quite a few feathers lying around now. And I can see where the two that were earlier are starting to get neck feathers back.