first molt in feb?

[PriscillatheRooster]

Hello all, I wanted to inquire about several of my hens who seem to be molting this month. We bought them as chicks around easter so they are around 10 months old, but I am very surprised they are replacing some of their feathers in the coldest part of the year. Most of the thinning and regrowing is around their neck/head. Our Wyandotte was the first to go through the molt, but her feathers seem to be pretty much fully replaced. Our two cinnamon queens are now a little patchy and I am a little concerned about the timing. I suppose it could be from our roosters' advances but he seems to be pretty gentle in general, and it usually seems like feathers are missing from the back of the hens body when they are getting a little too much attention. They are eating well and get a pretty varied diet with healthy treats so I doubt it has to do with their nutrition, I was wondering if this is just kind of odd timing of a natural molt or if its something to be concerned about. Their coop is pretty well insulated and it is starting to get warmer but we still have the rest of feb and early march to deal with and in wisconsin, I know we still have a lot of cold weather ahead. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Fairly odd but I've experienced molt throughout the year.
Most breeds will molt their second autumn. Many of my birds if hatched early in the year will molt their first autumn.
When I had Jaerhons, they molted in January. Being from Norway, I guess that was their way of saying - "you call this cold?".

 

[aart]

Have read of, and had here, many pullets that have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Nothing to worry about.

 

[azygous]

Humans make rules because we like to have something solid to hang our perceptions on. Chickens have no problem defying our stupid rules.

The ugly truth about molt is that it can occur any time and any age, no matter how hot or cold it is. Some of this is genetic and some is environmental stressors. Don't overthink it. Molt happens when it happens. It would be a rare thing for a chicken to die of freezing to death from feather loss. Chickens are able to find alternative ways to stay warm as their feathers regrow.

I've been at this chicken thing for fifteen years, and I've had some strange molts in my flock. One young EE/Legbar mix skipped her first adult molt and had her first molt in the summer she was two and a half. This year, around Christmas, my three Blue-Plymouths started to molt heavilty and are finishing their first complete adult molt at age ten months.

To verify you have a chicken in molt, look carefully at the thin and bald areas. If you see uniform pin feathers emerging, it's molt. If all you see are broken feathers and only a few sparse pin feathers, it's damage from other hens or from rooster mating.

 

[SCMommaHen]

I popped in to search the exact thing with my near 10 month wyandotte. She's molting around the neck and looks like something straight from the runway with a ring of feathers sticking out lol. None of my other breeds losing feathers. Maybe it's the breed?

 

[Callender Girl]

You are not alone with a molting Midwest pullet. I got three Cochins last spring. ONE of them is currently molting -- which was fine today when it's an unseasonable 50-plus degrees. I think she may regret her action later in the week, when the temps will drop back into the teens. Her sisters seem to be wisely holding off.