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

[dpenning]

I didn't start my new batch until Aug 2 so they haven't started laying yet. I'll start earlier next time!

 

[dreamychick]

Hey guys, I wanted to get some advice on something strange that happened with one of my chickens recently. I live in nashville Tennessee and we've been having an unseasonably warm winter. I have 3 English orpingtons, a mama and her two babies which are reaching maturity. The sex has been ambiguous but we are pretty sure ones a pullet and ones a roo. Today is Wednesday evening; yesterday morning at 6am we noticed feathers in the coop that looked like a chicken exploded. I looked closer and was able to identify that they are all from the young pullet. That evening I found an egg which appeared to be a pullet egg (more egg shaped, creamy color and speckled)..... and then much later in the evening I found all three of them sleeping on my porch instead of the coop. I had to go put them in. Today I got a good look at the pulley, and her "petticoats" are much less full and it seems like a bunch of tail feathers are missing. I can try to get s picture if I need to.
No attack: they've been calmer and sweeter than ever. A friend said the roo could've tried to mate with her but he hasn't been acting at all like a rooster and hasn't shown any interest in mating, crowing, or showing any sort of dominance whatsoever. There's still a chance he could turn out to be a she (but I doubt it). Thought it could be molt, but it's so late and she's only doing it from one area. And she had already molted I thought.
They are hard to get pictures of but I can try tomorrow. Just wanted to hear from other people if they think this could be a molt.
Tonight it's cold again, in the thirties but they still didn't want to go
Sleep in their coop. Not acting scared tho.
Here's pictures of the coop.

 

[Happy Chooks]

English Orps are slow to mature, how old is she? 9 -10 months? It's possible she is going through a minor molt. My English Orp never looks bald, she has so many feathers.

 

[chickenmama109]

thanks for that pic this is my first flock and ive have not seen a molt yet

 

[The Angry Hen]

I have three hens that always seem to have a rough molt. My one is a Partridge Plymouth Rock, he whole neck has no feathers and she looks like a Turken.
My Black Australorp hen is very small, she's been in a molt for too long now. I am starting to think it's just her being pecked on.
And my Buff Orpington just started. Her neck isn't as bad as my rock- but this is only the beginning!
My New Hampshire is getting her first molt now.

I am familiar with different molts, but thank you for creating this thread for other viewers. Their first time witnessing a molt can be difficult. Trust me, I remember!
-The Angry Hen

 

[Trish1974]

I will be experiencing my flock's first molt probably next month. Is the first molt usually the worst?

 

[aart]

I will be experiencing my flock's first molt probably next month. Is the first molt usually the worst?

Worse for the keeper maybe, not necessarily for the bird.
Sometimes it's hard to even tell they are molting, most don't get like this:

 

[Happy Chooks]

I will be experiencing my flock's first molt probably next month. Is the first molt usually the worst?

It can be anything from a minor molt where you see pin feathers here and there or missing tail feathers but they are not naked.........to what you see in this thread. And many places in between. I have not found any pattern to them having a more gradual molt to a major molt, they seem to have their own way. My hens that do go through a major molt, tend to do the same every year.

I will get some pictures of my hens in a gradual molt.

 

[Lady Clucksley]

Oh my gosh, I'm sure you've just saved some serious mental energy for some peeps! I got my hens and one started a hard molt about a week later...I ordered bumpa bits, covered her in Peck No More, essentially died the poor thing purple, then a neighbor saw her and said, "Well she's molting early." I was so relieved, but there is really no preparing for that! We're getting some nice plumage in now though, and look a lot less like a pork rind! First two pics are right after she started showing pin feathers, last two are as they've come out.

 

[SuziQ18]

This post was awesome thank you so much for sharing! My 10 chickens (except for two teenagers), are only 9 months old. So I guess I dodged a bullet this time around.