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

[Grandmas Coop]

This has never happened to me is this common

Yes I guess feather picking is common and if it gets aggressive enough can lead to

cannibalism Holy Cow

 

[mrchicks]

Ours ended up going to freezer camp. We tried peepers, pick no more lotion, everything. They started to cannibalize, so went to camp. I'll never get another one, they were awful birds.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I put blue kote on 2 of hens tails, I caught them pecking feathers. I am going to watch them this week and they too may have to go to camp.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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?

Yes, they could be getting near that time. When they quit laying, and it looks like a pillow exploded, they are molting. Some of mine get a buzzard looking head too, when they lose the feathers on their head/face.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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~~

That is some serious feather picking you have going on there. Have you tried No Pick to keep them from picking? Boredom and/or not enough space can cause picking as well.

 

[Chickenkeepr]

Yes, they could be getting near that time. When they quit laying, and it looks like a pillow exploded, they are molting. Some of mine get a buzzard looking head too, when they lose the feathers on their head/face.

They are all still laying, although it's getting quite irregular. Thankfully my pullets have almost all started laying to more than make up for it. I do have a Pekin duck who quit laying and now looks like she got run over by a lawnmower lol. She's no longer laying but is still broody for some reason.

 

[whittychick]

No more peck works great! I've been increasing their protein as well. Molting time is horrible! Feathers everywhere, bald chickens and hardly any eggs! Some of mine are getting pecked too! Grrrrr

 

[Happy Chooks]

You will not be getting eggs for a while. I have over 50 chickens, and I'm getting about 5 eggs a day right now with so many hens molting. And most of the ones that aren't molting yet are broody.

Good job on increasing their protein, it really helps.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Happy Chooks I haven't tried No Peck. Who makes it? Right now ALL of the hens are NOT laying, they are taking a "break". All have mush poo, like pancake batter, plop poo. I did give them for 3 days Rooster Booster Tri- wormer and will repeat this week. There is a bit of feather in the coop when I go in in the a.m. [molting]
??????????? how long do they take a egg - hiatus ??????? I don't care if they arnt laying I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with them.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Happy Chooks I haven't tried No Peck. Who makes it? Right now ALL of the hens are NOT laying, they are taking a "break". All have mush poo, like pancake batter, plop poo. I did give them for 3 days Rooster Booster Tri- wormer and will repeat this week. There is a bit of feather in the coop when I go in in the a.m. [molting]
??????????? how long do they take a egg - hiatus ??????? I don't care if they arnt laying I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with them.

No Pick and Blu Kote are basically the same. You need to be careful applying it, or you will look like a smurf.

For the poop, you are likely dealing with worms. See here.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0


How long they take an egg laying break depends on the hen and how hard they molt. Average for me is about 3 months. I have some that molt quicker, and some slower.