First molt and chicken sleeping alone

[Rachel D]

Hello, I have 4 girls: 2 Easter eggers, one barred rock, and one golden Wyandotte, all about 18 months old. My smaller Easter egger Pippi is molting and hasn’t laid an egg in over a week. They have a very secure run, and they all love to sleep outside on their roosting bar, but Pippi has moved in to the coop alone the last couple nights. She was eating/drinking today and the other girls don’t pick on her but she is at the bottom of the order. Is there anything I should be concerned about or watch for? It’s the first molt I’ve seen and I don’t know if I should do anything extra for this girl. Thanks!

 

[HappyClucker7]

Chickens will often separate themselves from the flock when they're molting. They feel very uncomfortable with all the new pinfeathers coming in, and they don't want to be touched. Nothing to worry about. She'll be back to normal once she finishes her molt.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

What @HappyClucker7 said. My Polish girls prefer to sleep in the nesting boxes when they are molting, and I let them. They can act off when they're molting - the Polish get more skittish and don't want wuvvies from their Momma Chicken (me), and some of the others get cranky. Just keep an eye on her and as long as nothing else seems off, she'll probably be back to her normal self when all her feathers are back in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also normal for molting birds, birds nearing molt, and post-molt birds to not lay, or to lay at reduced amounts.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Chickens will often separate themselves from the flock when they're molting. They feel very uncomfortable with all the new pinfeathers coming in, and they don't want to be touched. Nothing to worry about. She'll be back to normal once she finishes her molt.

Hello, I have 4 girls: 2 Easter eggers, one barred rock, and one golden Wyandotte, all about 18 months old. My smaller Easter egger Pippi is molting and hasn’t laid an egg in over a week. They have a very secure run, and they all love to sleep outside on their roosting bar, but Pippi has moved in to the coop alone the last couple nights. She was eating/drinking today and the other girls don’t pick on her but she is at the bottom of the order. Is there anything I should be concerned about or watch for? It’s the first molt I’ve seen and I don’t know if I should do anything extra for this girl. Thanks!

My 6 hens are also going through their 18-month molt and they are all having a tough spell. I regularly hold them during normal times, but they do not like to be touched now, several of them are sleeping in nest boxes. It seems to be that their social order is different now as well. The ones that were more dominant are hanging back, waiting for the others to eat before they do. They normally like pumpkin seeds but none are eating them now for some reason. I give them some tuna a couple of times per week for a little extra protein and they love it. I know they do not lay eggs during this big molt, but I'm not sure if they will lay afterward even though it's winter and there's not as much daylight. Last winter they all were laying and we didn't notice any slow-down.