Ended Official BYC Contest - Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall/Winter 2014

[sumi]

Winners announced here​

It's that time of year again where our birds start their metamorphosis into... well, okay, they don't turn into anything, but it sure is interesting to see them go through their molting process and leaving feathers all over the place!

The contest is simple: Post pictures of your birds in the worst part of their molt. Once we're past the molting season our esteemed panel of judges will pick a loser... er... winner!

We will have two categories: "Frizzle" and "All Other Breeds" (on account of Frizzles having some pretty bad molting genes and winning this contest for the past two years

).

There will be one winner per category and each will receive a free 6 month GFM for themselves or a friend.


The rules are simple too:

1. Must be your chicken
2. Must be a picture taken THIS YEAR, so probably within the last few weeks and over the next couple months (depending on your climate, birds, etc.)
3. Must say which category you're entering in

Good luck to you and your ugly... er.. molting chickens!

Here is our previous contest winner (pic by Nambroth):



For more information on chickens' annual molt see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/580915/for-the-new-folks-that-havent-experienced-a-molt-yet/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/molting-for-dummies

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Yay this is like my fave chicken contest! My polish started molting, I will have to get some pics

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, I suppose I do have one molter that can enter at the moment. My Easter-egger, Mako, lost the majority of her feathers a few weeks ago and turned into a walking pin cushion. Perhaps not as bad as Nambroth's Willow last year, but it's a start to the contest, right? She would be in the 'All Other Breeds' category.

She's looking a little better now. I'll post pictures of her once she's filled in the rest of the way for a comparison.

 

[Wild Domestic]

All other breeds….


Here's my Brahma hen, Miss Jane several weeks ago, the poor dear...

Here she is now… not quite grown out, but those feathers are soft as silk!

 

[DonnaMiniFarm1]

Does anyone know if we should add supplemental lighting during the molt I'd like my girls to continue there egg production but I don't want to add to the stress.

 

[AZ Turkeys]

You can add light without stress. Simply hang a 40 watt bulb in a heat lamp hood and plug it into a timer. Set the timer for 5 am on and off at sunrise to ensure your hens get as close to 14 hours of light as possible. It won't stress them when the light comes on in the morning. Make sure they have at least water when they wake up.

 

[gpaschall]

This is my "beautiful" Barred Plymouth Rock, Petunia. This is her first molt, and it isn't pretty! I'd like to enter her in the "All other Breeds" category!!

!

 

[nonageri]

I think my little hens (Cochins) are about naked!! ) The frizzles are a mess..first molt and may have to invent clothes..especially since cold weather has moved in.

 

[Tandy Acuna]

[/IMG]
Here us my big bold fluffy Brahma, Kiki!
She ended up about 1/2 naked. Ouch when ALL those bum feathers grew back!

 

[farmlady1]

I should have entered last year...all my girls but one was completely naked. I even thought about sewing/crocheting them a sweater until their feathers grew back in. So, far, none have started the molting process this year.