Does this look like molting or something else?

[switzerchicks]

Hi there. I have 12 chickens. I noticed last week that there have been quite a few feathers around the coop.. but this week, this one (chickadee) looks pretty rough. The other chickens don't "look" like they are molting, so I didn't know if chickadee is indeed molting or has something else wrong. We are located in Ontario.. it is getting cold at night.. so I know it is the time of year for molting. I just don't know how intense it should be. I looked for bugs on her.. couldn't see any while i was holding her.

Any advice? Thanks so much!

 

[smedly9921]

Looks like molting to me. A few of mine just got done molting in the last week and we are around 40 degrees at night here. I think chickens need to plan out their molting time a little better.

 

[Lolachick07]

Don't worry, Chickadee is just molting. Some chickens molt more than others, it's just how they are I guess

She should be fine at night with the others for warmth, but if you're worried about her being cold, you can always just add more bedding for insulation in their coop( I like to put pine shavings). Hope this is helpful!

 

[switzerchicks]

thanks! that makes me feel better! It's funny how terrible they look when they are missing so many feathers. I like them fluffy, shiny and full!