Chicken losing feathers--is this normal? (pictures included)

[frog522]

My chicken has lost a lot of feathers within the last three days. I got her early May 2010 so she was probably hatched/born around the end of April 2010. This all happened in three days. Coop and run were spotless before. Is she molting? Is something wrong with her? Is there anything I need to do? As a first time chicken owner, I'm a bit freaked out about the amount of feathers she's losing. She is eating and drinking normally as usual. She has not been laying eggs for a week now. Her feathers are not firmly attached as she loses feathers when I lightly grasp her feathers. What can I do to help her? Will she be okay?

 

[Orchid]

She's molting.

Looks like a chicken explosion the first time you come upon it, doesn't it?

 

[Little Luna Silkies]

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[Tripp16]

Yep shes molting!

 

[pawsplus]

It's awful the first time it happens to you! But yeah, it's normal.

My Clarice moulted in July and now she's doing it AGAIN! That's really freaking me out as she's never done that before and it's getting cold--she needs her feathers! <sigh>

 

[annie3001]

ur chicken looks like its molting.

 

[2DogsFarm]

Molting.

They look like heck for a couple weeks, then grow back lovely new feathers.

My molting girls were outside this weekend when we had 30-40mph winds.
Blew the feathers right off them!

The worst looks about one step away from a supermarket chicken - all she needs is the foam tray & some plastic wrap...

Even teen rooster lost his fancy tailfeathers - right now he looks like a very upright hen

 

[Hiram]

molting!!

 

[Blue]

Definitely molting! A bunch of mine are molting right now; I thought one of my roosters had been grabbed by a dog because when I went to lock him up for the the night he only had 1 tail feather left. Then, I found the rest all laying in the bottom of his pen. lol! I can't figure out why mine always molt when it's getting colder. Seems like something better done when it's hot in the summer.

 

[packmomma]

My girl Whoot looks just like that..bare as can be and tons of new feathers. I try not to touch her, it has to be so sore right now. She's mostly naked! At first I thought man that rooster had his way with her and then looked closer...nope..super bad molt. All mine are really molting right now. Guess I should cull soon so I don't have many feathers to pluck!