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

[Sheryl95228]

Is there a particular time of year for them to molt?

I have 3 hens 2 rhode island reds and an amercuana(?) . The amercuana (mary) molted in the fall Septemberish and now one of the reds is, she kinda looks like the one in the first pic in this thread and its December and cold, even for California, 20s over night. They all seem to snuggle together at night when I check on them.

They are about 3 years + I bought them from a neighbor in August.

Thanks for the input.

 

[aart]

Is there a particular time of year for them to molt?

I have 3 hens 2 rhode island reds and an amercuana(?) . The amercuana (mary) molted in the fall Septemberish and now one of the reds is, she kinda looks like the one in the first pic in this thread and its December and cold, even for California, 20s over night. They all seem to snuggle together at night when I check on them.

They are about 3 years + I bought them from a neighbor in August.

Thanks for the input.

I've had birds start to molt anywhere from the first week of August to sometime in December.

 

[Trish1974]

Is it possible for a hen to skip their first adult molt? I have a flock of 6, all the exact same age (18 months), and all have completed their first molt besides one... my golden comet. She is still laying daily and showing no signs molting.

 

[aart]

Is it possible for a hen to skip their first adult molt? I have a flock of 6, all the exact same age (18 months), and all have completed their first molt besides one... my golden comet. She is still laying daily and showing no signs molting.

Yes, it's possible.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I've had birds start to molt anywhere from the first week of August to sometime in December.

I've had the same.

Is it possible for a hen to skip their first adult molt? I have a flock of 6, all the exact same age (18 months), and all have completed their first molt besides one... my golden comet. She is still laying daily and showing no signs molting.

Possible, but also possible she could start blowing feathers very soon. If you have lighting in your coop, it may delay her molt. I do not light my coops.

 

[Trish1974]

Possible, but also possible she could start blowing feathers very soon.

I hope not; we're heading into the cold temps of the year. Single digits for nightly lows next week. (I do not light my coop, either).

 

[MaMaher]

OMGosh!!! I'm not looking forward toward our first molt. I'm going to be horrified.

 

[Happy Chooks]

OMGosh!!! I'm not looking forward toward our first molt. I'm going to be horrified.

Most of my birds do not molt this badly, but it can happen.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It's that time again, get ready for some pictures of molting birds.

Fall is coming early here, I already have several birds molting.

 

[MIChickandGuinea]

They say pictures are worth a thousand words, so I thought I'd share my picture for all those new to chicken raising on what it looks like when a chicken molts.

Now keep in mind, this hen is going through a very hard molt. (she didn't molt this badly last year) She's a 2 1/2 year old Sicilian Buttercup. You can also see that her comb is shriveled up.

My girls are mostly still feathered, but some are waaaaaaaay down on egg production. We haven’t seen an egg fromnour white leghorn in 6 weeks or so!! Her feathers look fine, she’s happy, eating and drinking and browsing. She’s about 18 months old, so a normal age for a molt... but she doesn’t look like your photos!

Additionally, a girl who was unbreakably broody this spring is broody again. We let her hatch a couple eggs this spring to break her out of the mothering mood, but we don’t want any new babies at this time of year. What’s up in the flock?! What do I do about my repeat broody?!