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

[aart]

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.

Chickens go thru 3 molts between hatch and about 5-6 months.
Their first major adult molt will be during their second fall/winter.

But many older pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
7 months is the youngest I've read about....usually they are 9-12 months.

 

[hayley3]

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?

Mine are just now molting and are naked...and tomorrow it will be in the 20's...I'm worried about them. Normally it's not 20 in November here.

 

[aesch]

Mine are just now molting and are naked...and tomorrow it will be in the 20's...I'm worried about them. Normally it's not 20 in November here.

They should be fine if you let them stay in the coop where they're protected from the wind and cold. Chickens are led by instinct and if they have access to shelter they will seek that out. If you're really concerned give them a little extra corn. I think that's supposed to provide them with internal heat. It's what I do and it seems to help.

 

[hayley3]

If they had their feathers I wouldn't worry...I cooked them some barley today and will pick up some mealworms. They already get corn in their scratch grains.

 

[twendt]

My old girls ( 2/12 yrs old) are molting hard now, they just started dropping all their feathers at once... we got winter early this year in Wisconsin. We had a late Spring last year and now this.