Are my chickens molting in the winter? Help!,

[lhbisbee]

I be been sick and unable to go out to coop. When I went out this evening with my husband, I found two of my hens Losing feathers and looking awful. There are no bugs or moving things in them, but their feathers have a kind of white dust-like substance all over them. I really need help because there are too many diseases to read through to find what I'm lookimg for. I hope someone here can help. I didn't think they molted in the winter. We live in Vermont and it's been below zero the last couple days. What is this? Hopefully, these pictures wil help. It's Rose, a RIR, and Debbie, a Black Austrolorp.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

looks like molting to me. They do molt in the winter...i also have about 5 hens all molting right now.

 

[islandgirl82]

Yes, they can and do molt when the temperatures drop. You can see the pins of their new feathers growing in. Give them some scrambled eggs, black oil sunflower seeds and other high protein foods to help give them the boost the need.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens molt usually around the age of 16-18 months and then yearly thereafter. That is why most people try to hatch eggs in early spring, so they molt in late summer or early fall. I had a banty hen who molted at a strange time in February nce, and later found out that since she had gone broody and had chicks in January, that she probably became stressed. Here is a link or 3 about molting:
http://www.grit.com/animals/molting-what-is-it--how-to-help-chickens-get-through-it.aspx
http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/the-molting-process/index.jsp
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html