First time molting

[slbenter]

Hello all 'chicken crazy' folks.
Seems like fall is upon us soon, and I'm curious. My chicks hatched July 8th....they're only 2 months old.
They are fully feathered except for one BCM cockerel, who seems to be small and very slow feathering. He still has some down on his back.
I was under the impression that they would not molt this first fall, yet I am seeing quite a few feathers around the run.
None of the birds look disheveled, like pictures I've seen here of adult birds. Still, I'm wondering if they're molting, or if perhaps they're skuffeling
a bit when I'm not looking or with them. I go out and spend time with them for at least 1/2 an hour 2 times a day. Never see any real fighting but
I have seen a couple of grumpy-bird episodes that don't result in any injures. Nothing at all to be concerned about. Still, seeing the feathers has me curious...can they molt even though they're so young?

 

[Kabootar]

Chickens typically don't molt until well after their first birthday, typically at the age of one and a half year. See if you have a feather plucker in your flock. Increase the amount of their protein intake by adding treats like black oil sunflower seeds, flax seed, mealworms, duckweed, confrey etc.

That slow feathering cockerel needs to be culled. Always select the fast feathering chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicks go through juvenile molts as they grow. They outgrow their feathers and need to replace them. It's that simple. Two months is a good age for that first juvenile molt. You should see at least one more before they settle in to their adult plumage.

Some chickens are fast-feathering, some are slow-feathering. That's controlled by genetics. That's a major difference in the feather pattern of a cuckoo Marans versus a Barred Rock. Their barred pattern is caused by the same barring gene. The Cuckoo Marans is fast feathering, the feathers grow in so fast you get a scattered "Cuckoo" pattern. The Barred Rock is slow feathering, the feathers grow slow enough that the barred pattern comes in crisp.
There can be some production benefits of fast feathering versus slow-feathering but I don;t consider it a fatal flaw where you eliminate a slow feathering bird form you flock unless you have a specific reason. Some typical slow-feathering breeds are Brahma, Cochins, Dorking, Cornish, Sussex, Orpington, Rocks, Wyandotte, Delaware and many others. It it were automatic to eliminate any slow-feathering birds these breeds would not exist.

 

[aart]

Chickens typically don't molt until well after their first birthday, typically at the age of one and a half year.

That's the first full adult molt.

Chicks go through juvenile molts as they grow. They outgrow their feathers and need to replace them. It's that simple. Two months is a good age for that first juvenile molt. You should see at least one more before they settle in to their adult plumage.

Ditto Dat!!