For the new folks that haven't experienced a molt yet.

[Grandmas Coop]

My girls have bellies like that, I was putting them I for the night tonight and noticed one of the chickens looked scabby. So I turned her upside down and looked, I can tell if they have mites and are pulling their own feathers out cuz they itch or what. So I went and got some Neosporin, spread it on everyone that had an issue. ON the mites mites mites thread I read one gal bought front line pulse for dogs at cost-co and used that to get rid of mites. I think I am going to try it, the hens look just miserable.

how are you hens looking? I tried the dog flea/mite killer. A drop on the shoulder area and on the tail. I did it on the 11th.

 

[Weezul98]

It appears as though my hens are starting to molt. A few weeks ago we noticed a bald spot on the back of the head and a bald spot just before the tail on their back. We assumed it was from the rooster "piggy backing" (as my young dughter puts it) all winter long in the coop. It was a long hard winter and they stayed in the coop for most of the last three and a half months. Now I see tiny feathers starting to grow back on the back. They are almost one. Is this a molt or do you think the roo was pulling/ breaking off feathers! This is the first set of chickens we have ever had so we are still learning. By the way they were sold to us as aricaunas although from what I have read it could also be americana or easter eggers.:cd

 

[taffee50]

LOL!  And people think chickens are dumb. /img/smilies/wink.png

I thought my silky was broody so I stuck her butt in cool water twice today and it didn't work I noticed one of her wings felt kind of dry and there are some feathers in the coop she sits in a nesting box all day with no eggs she has stopped producing am I correct in rethinking this that she is not broody but moulting? it is warm in California where we live I guess she is a year old or so not sure

 

[leapinglemurs]

Thank you so much for posting this! I was gone for three days and came back today to one of my girls having feathers all over the ground and practically naked! I thought she was pulling them out or the others were and did some research and saw this (I've never seen them molt before).

 

[Nofowlplay]

Thank you so much for posting this! I was gone for three days and came back today to one of my girls having feathers all over the ground and practically naked! I thought she was pulling them out or the others were and did some research and saw this (I've never seen them molt before).

yes ..a heavy molt is quite dramatic. There are also light molts and everything in between. The show bird food really helped with the plumage regrowth. They were also laying huge eggs for awhile! I only give them a tablespoon of the show bird food once in awhile till one molts again!

 

[Grandmas Coop]

These are PIC's of pecking





Well Buff Orphington's are feather pickers~ I have been catching them just going up to each other and swiping a feather, and they pick their own. They don't have mites or lice, they are just pickers~~

 

[faverolelover07]

This has never happened to me is this common

 

[centrarchid]

This has never happened to me is this common

Please elaborate on what you have not seen.

 

[Chickenkeepr]

What are some signs that they are getting ready to molt? I have 2 EE's that turned a year old this spring. In the past week or so, it seems like their feathers have lightened up a lot, and started to get a touch ratty. One of the girls has been having an odd feather sticking up here or there for a couple weeks now. No diet changes, they are both still laying daily (as far as I can tell. They like to randomly hide their eggs on me). They are acting fine, and have no lice/mites that I can see. Fall starts up here in September it seems lol, so could they just be getting ready for their first molt?

 

[Grandmas Coop]

These are PIC's of pecking





Well Buff Orphington's are feather pickers~ I have been catching them just going up to each other and swiping a feather, and they pick their own. They don't have mites or lice, they are just pickers~~