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

[vpatt]

Quote:


My girls do that when they are in the nest box getting ready to lay.  They move one tiny little piece at at time and put some on their backs while they are getting situated in the nest.

I noticed one of my hens in the nest today with pine shavings on her back.....I thought she had just tossed them around and got them on her back accidently. I've only had them a week so haven't observed all their behaviors.

 

[kaustin11110]

Thank goodness for this website. This is my first experience with my hens molting and it is freaking me out. That and the fact that I had my first attack on my girls the other night and lost one to something still unknow, and a run of foul pox!

 

[Hen and Halo]

Thank you, Thank you!! This would have been frightening to wake up to!! My feathered feet friends are 15 weeks today. Will they go through a molt this year? The reason I ask is because they have gone through losing their down, then losing baby feathers for larger feathers, so losing all their new feathers just seems taxing. Thank you again for the shared photos!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Thank goodness for this website. This is my first experience with my hens molting and it is freaking me out. That and the fact that I had my first attack on my girls the other night and lost one to something still unknow, and a run of foul pox!

You have a bunch going on at night. Good luck with your predator issues.

Thank you, Thank you!! This would have been frightening to wake up to!! My feathered feet friends are 15 weeks today. Will they go through a molt this year? The reason I ask is because they have gone through losing their down, then losing baby feathers for larger feathers, so losing all their new feathers just seems taxing. Thank you again for the shared photos!

You are welcome. Your birds are going through a juvenile molt, they are getting in their adult feathers. They won't go through a seasonal molt until next fall.

 

[plm6846]

When you least expect it, the girls will molt. They, young ones, get all pretty adult feathers and get used to their run and coop...then they molt!! Making those girls look like mangy unkempt chickens!! I had a couple that were nearly bare naked!! Kreepy naked chickens...and it takes them forever to grow new feathers back. Then in my flock the girls finally have feathers and look pretty again and poof they molt again!! Sheesh!!

 

[raggles76]

ive never in my life been speechless...... until now! i cant even put into words how i feel about this!

i hope this doesnt happen to my girls

 

[cafarmgirl]

You hope what doesn't happen to your girls? Molting?

 

[raggles76]

no

i hope they dont molt like that poor bird from the original post. ive never seen one that bad

 

[aussimom]

Great thread. I have a BA that is a year and 1/2. Going through a had molt. She is not eating and has lost wt. the flock is on feather fixer. And I heve given her a boost of Nutidrench. I have been feeding her twice a day using a purée of the food. She is not lethargic , but she was the top chick but she has backed done. She was always picking on the younger birds and is not interested, does anyone have any suggestions!

 

[winaward]

My chickens have never molted. This is the third fall for a few of them. What's with this?