Early molting = bad winter?

[Laurie11111]

Not really sure where to put this thread but bear with me

My birds have always molted sometime between the tail end of August to November, when daylight really starts decreasing.

This year it started in June.

I thought maybe it was because of their age. They didn't molt last year due to hatch time so they're doing their adult molt now. But now my older hens are also molting.

I know that heat can cause them to molt a little, and SE Oklahoma has been absolutely ridiculous with the heat and heat index this year.

But I also wonder if we're going to have another bad winter freeze. Last year they molted a little earlier than usual too, but nothing in June. They had pristine feathers for when the snow and ice hit, though!

Has anyone else noticed an earlier molt trend when winter is going to be bad? Or am I just tying together coincidences?

Two of my hens started molting late June Early July which i thought was a bit early. They otherwise seem healthy so I am just going with the flow. One of the hens is three and the other is one and it is her first molt.

 

[KimberlyAnnn]

I found this while googling if early molt meant early winter My girls are starting early this year too regardless of age, they're still laying but definitely thinning. They molted pretty late last year and it was a wet and warm winter.
July was miserable here in the central valley, so I'm really hoping for an early fall. It's still hot, but it's better than July.
Not sure about the apple tree, the fruit is definitely getting heavy. Might help it out and pick off the sunburnt ones

 

[Loving my girls]

This is really interesting, I used to have a maran cross, Susan, who would moult every year in September. She would loose almost all her feathers within two weeks (lots of Poultry Power) think oven ready chicken. I always thought it was coz she was a little … odd. But now I feel bad for thinking that.
RIP Susan

 

[Mama Lyle]

Not really sure where to put this thread but bear with me

My birds have always molted sometime between the tail end of August to November, when daylight really starts decreasing.

This year it started in June.

I thought maybe it was because of their age. They didn't molt last year due to hatch time so they're doing their adult molt now. But now my older hens are also molting.

I know that heat can cause them to molt a little, and SE Oklahoma has been absolutely ridiculous with the heat and heat index this year.

But I also wonder if we're going to have another bad winter freeze. Last year they molted a little earlier than usual too, but nothing in June. They had pristine feathers for when the snow and ice hit, though!

Has anyone else noticed an earlier molt trend when winter is going to be bad? Or am I just tying together coincidences?

This will be my girls first winter, we live in North/West New Mexico on a mountain, nights are starting to get chilly already.
I haven't noticed my girls moulting yet.
Actually don't know what that would actually look like.

 

[Loving my girls]

This will be my girls first winter, we live in North/West New Mexico on a mountain, nights are starting to get chilly already.
I haven't noticed my girls moulting yet.
Actually don't know what that would actually look like.

The hen house will look like they’ve had a pillow fight and the girls will look like oven ready chickens. They will need lots of extra protein so get ready with the frozen peas, walnuts, tuna, mackerel, sunflower seeds, mealworm etc etc

 

[HollowOfWisps]

My apple trees started shedding there leaves early this year as well. This seems to be an indicator of an early fall/winter as I've seen the same pattern last year, except with oak, & maple trees.

It’s the same here. I just was taking a walk around the property and my Willows, Maples and Apple trees are all turning yellow already. In the past they did not start to turn for at the very least another month here.

 

[MysteryChicken]

It’s the same here. I just was taking a walk around the property and my Willows, Maples and Apple trees are all turning yellow already. In the past they did not start to turn for at the very least another month here.

Yeah.

 

[Fallenone05]

Our trees are yellowing too but it's been 100f+ with no rain for multiple weeks. We are drying out big time out here.

 

[Loving my girls]

It’s been scary hot here too, we’ve had late 30s (100f ish) for two weeks and have 41c on Sunday which is 106f. The area has been declared as having had a natural disaster which means the houses that have cracked due to the dry land can claim on their insurance.
Our golden retriever is absolutely beside himself. He lives under the aircon unit while even our cats stay in doors.
My poor girls, walking around in their feather duvets, are digging holes in our little wood and feasting on the ice cold goodies I am giving them to keep up their vitamins c and e.

 

[FloridaChook]

sounds like we're gonna have a scary end of the year!!