broody,broody,multing

[bobthebunny]

Hi! I have 6 hens no rooster. 4 of the hens lay brown eggs the other 2 lay green i get 2 green eggs a day and no brown eggs. 1 of my 2 buff os Ducky is broody and so is my road island red Ginger so I don't get any eggs from them and that's understandable. But my Plymouth Rock Dawn and my other Buff o Fluffy don't lay any eggs. Dawn I think is molting and leaves a trail of feathers where ever she goes yet another thing to worry about. Fluffy though i cant find a single reason why she isn't laying and I'm worried she could be sick or slightly mental like Ducky. I guess it could be the weather but i live in Texas so it's never very cold. So here's my variety of questions Why is Dawn losing huge amounts of feathers? Why is Fluffy not laying could she be slightly mental? And do chickens stop laying when they're molting?

 

[Mrs. K]

loss of a huge amount of feathers is more than likely molting. Usually they really look ratty and can even have bald patches. Hens do not lay eggs during the molt. Generally a really hard molt, is a fast recovery.

Fluffy may not be laying because of the day - length, or her age. I think I have read on average, a bird lays 20% less than of last years total. So as they age they lay less. Older birds are strongly effected by the amount of daylength, less daylight, less eggs. New pullets are less effected.

Mrs K

 

[bobthebunny]

Fluffy is about a year old anything else you think it could be

 

[Mrs. K]

Then I think it is the day-length.

 

[bobthebunny]

Oh i betcher right i have to put them up earlier and earlier.

 

[Ourchickenhouse]

I have a question about moulting... I have a beautiful Whelan Japanese that has lost all her feathers at her neck in the last few weeks - but now she doesn't want to get out of her nesting box at all, keeps her head sunk down when before she was quite busy and energetic. Wondering if it's connected to moulting? Does their behaviour change during this time?