Do chickens molt this time of year?

[21hens-incharge]

Oh my goodness! Naked bird alert!

I had a leghorn go "ready for the pot" naked with overnights at -16 daytime highs at 0. Tough to watch but she came through well.

Hang in there.

 

[junebuggena]

My hard molters all did it before really cold weather hit this year. Two years ago, a few went through a hard molt during a cold snap. It was down in the teens, with winds gusting 30mph. Some cozy hay or straw to snuggle into helps keep them comfortable in cold weather.

 

[bruceha2000]

Some of mine almost do a "drop and replace" and never look too bad. The Ancona comes to mind. She looks silly without a tail but the rest of her feathers don't APPEAR to change. They do of course. Others look like they got blown through a hurricane.

Does the hen look uncomfortable to your "fashion" eye or do her actions suggest she is uncomfortable? Any chicken in cold weather might stand on 1 leg and pull the other up, like a flamingo. They will make day nests in the shavings/hay on the floor. If she is wandering around and eating like normal, she is fine.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I left her in the coop. She's snuggled between 2 others on the roost, so I think she'll be OK tonight.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Does the hen look uncomfortable to your "fashion" eye or do her actions suggest she is uncomfortable? Any chicken in cold weather might stand on 1 leg and pull the other up, like a flamingo. They will make day nests in the shavings/hay on the floor. If she is wandering around and eating like normal, she is fine.

She looks horrible feather wise, but she looks like she's not enjoying it. I had a few others like that, but that started acting normal once their feathers came back.

 

[bruceha2000]

That is normal. They often segregate when they moult, I think they feel vulnerable. My Anconas were top of the flock ... except when they were moulting, then they didn't bother the other hens at all and stayed away from them during the day ... until they were done moulting. Then the made sure to "tell" the other girls "I'M BAAAAACK" and exerted their dominance.

 

[micstrachan]

Um, YES. They do. Three of my six “babies” (pullets - Buff Orpington, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Speckled Sussex) are currently molting, one of my second-year hens (Brown Leghorn) had a significant molt, came back into lay, and then stopped again to molt on her head. Another second-year hen (Barred Rock) is having the longest, slowest molt if all time. Finally, my third second-year hen (Australorp) appears to have never molted and has never stopped laying. She has some oretty raged looking tail and side feathers, but her neck looks shiny and new and her back is speckled with shiny new feathers... kinda like the fish scales in the children’s story,”Rainbow Fish.” LOL.

 

[micstrachan]

Anyone know why this is? Thinking it’s so their “fluffy butts” are all fresh and ready for chicks in the spring?

 

[bruceha2000]

I expect the feathers wear and they get replaced for winter warmth. But I am just guessing.

 

[bluebird]

YES YES YES!!!