Chickens molting to early? (PICS ADDED)

Hello everyone,

I have a flock of six pullets (will be hens in a little less than 2 months). I guess someone said that they shouldn't be having their first molt yet. This is their first winter and they are I guess a little over 10 months. Any ideas why they are molting already?
Thanks!
- Clucky
Thank you for posting this as I have the same situation. I have 8 pullets-9 moths old. One CM stooped laying in October, 5 stopped laying right after Thanksgiving and recently they started molting. I only get 1-2 eggs a day from 2 of my RIR. Just like you I was expecting for them to lay eggs through the winter and no molt since that’s what I read in all of the books, publications etc..I was very confused until I started looking into it more and found that “Mother Nature” knows best and this is possible. They also stopped squatting and are behaving like I’m out to kill them. Are they going to start squatting again and go back to their friendly selves?
 
@Aristocat123 , if they are molting then it can make them pretty uncomfortable and they don't much like being handled, so will avoid things that they may not have so much before. Once molt is done they will likely return to how they were before. How long it takes can vary, and depending on individual birds they can start laying after it's complete or in some cases may not lay again until the daylight hours start to lengthen more in spring.
 
@Aristocat123 , if they are molting then it can make them pretty uncomfortable and they don't much like being handled, so will avoid things that they may not have so much before. Once molt is done they will likely return to how they were before. How long it takes can vary, and depending on individual birds they can start laying after it's complete or in some cases may not lay again until the daylight hours start to lengthen more in spring.
I read about them being uncomfortable when molting so I don’t even try. Poor babies they look “homeless”
 

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