Can a pullet go into a partial molt in the fall?

[Karen Glatz]

One of my April chicks - an Easter egger - is suddenly showing a patch of new pins on the back of her neck. My three year old Easter egger just finished a molt.

The pullet stopped laying a couple of weeks ago (I thought she was hiding them, but I've searched everywhere). I have a cockerel (next to her), but while constantly horny, he hasn't shown signs of being hard on his 9 charges and the little Easter egger is pretty quick to avoid. I never noticed a bare patch, just noticed an odd silhouette today, then noticed the pins. I think I would have noticed a bare patch, she's my favorite.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm no expert, but my Cochin is in the first stages of a molt. She lost all the feathers off both feet and in a few areas on her shoulders. Everywhere else is still white fluffiness. I do know molts can be patchy. Can't say for certain that's your girl's issue, though.

 

[aesch]

Yes she can be molting. I have two hens that are going through that right now, when the temps just dropped into the 20s! One dropped almost all her feathers while the other is doing a slow molt one feather at a time. Are you giving her feather fixer or extra oyster shells? Is she eating and acting normally?

 

[twendt]

Agree , Pullets go through a small/mild molt, They won't go through an entire MOLT, next year you'll get a FULL MOLT. Get ready for FULL MOLT next year...

 

[Aunt Angus]

Agree , Pullets go through a small/mild molt, They won't go through an entire MOLT, next year you'll get a FULL MOLT. Get ready for FULL MOLT next year...

And feathers ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!

 

[twendt]

That's right!!

 

[Karen Glatz]

What surprises me is that she's laying, and is past the first baby molt, but is still only 7 mo. old. I wouldn't expect a molt until next fall.

By the way, my cockerel is a cochin - he is so gorgeous! A big, big pile of green/black feathers, scarlet comb and wattles and that beady brown eye watching everything.

 

[twendt]

My hens laid until January, then, NO EGGS for 6 weeks!! Then I had LOTS of eggs. I too had feathers everywhere...

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have a 13 week old porcelain D'Uccle chick that has the same pin feathers on the side of her neck. Looks like she's in partial molt like your girl.

 

[Karen Glatz]

I'm feeding them layer pellets and cottage cheese, meal worms, flax seed, black sunflower seed, grass and all the bugs and snails they can find. Plus anything the rabbits drop or they can steal through the wire (like apples or bananas). In summer they get grapes, grape leaves, and cucumbers along with mulberries, blackberries and mulberry leaves. Their eggs have really strong shells and my 3 year old got through her molt pretty fast. She looks very svelte right now.