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

[aoxa]

This is about as bad as I have now. Honey is even worse now, but here she is a couple of weeks ago. She is not a happy camper.

 

[GardenGal]

So glad to know this is just part of the process! Ugh. So I read that moulting takes about 3 months. Is that 3 months of miserable or does that generally taper off?

Put our big old Buff Sussex in with Miss Moulter. She could keep anything warm. Now I have to get up at day break to make sure they got along!

 

[Turkeytruff]

thanks so much for this thread. I just 'rescued' 6 hens and a rooster (black copper marans); I have been told they are 18 months old. Some have wonky toes from living on chicken wire and one is damaged in one eye. Poor little things. They are also going through various stages of a hard molt and are very apathetic. Some look very 'oven ready' and the only one that looks almost normal is the one eyed one. - this thread has been great in terms of how long, how often, and how hard the moults can get. I look forward to getting them back in shape. They had porridge this morning and couldn't get enough! Only problem is my turkeys are still too interested in them and keep checking them out - so they hide in the hen house whilst everyone else free ranges most of the day. Yoghurt tomorrow!

 

[aoxa]

So glad to know this is just part of the process!  Ugh.  So I read that moulting takes about 3 months.  Is that 3 months of miserable or does that generally taper off? 

Put our big old Buff Sussex in with Miss Moulter.  She could keep anything warm.  Now I have to get up at day break to make sure they got along! 

 

Can take up to 3 months. Doesn't always. Usually the middle of the molt is the worst (when they are starting to grow the feathers in). That's my experience anyway

 

[crissycriss]

My girls are visible to the whole neighbourhood (we get heaps of people walking past our yard with their kids to show them the chickens), so if this is what moulting is gonna be like I think I'll have to get a sign up when it happens so they don't call the council and report us for keeping diseased birds LOL.


Maybe something like:

"Please don't laugh at the moulting chickens - everyone has a bad hair day now and then"

LOL!!!Love it! Thats a good one.The picture and This saying would make a great poster.

 

[Happy Chooks]

KatGold - yes, that's molting.

My buttercup is still losing feathers, so I may get a better picture.

 

[Happy Chooks]

So glad to know this is just part of the process! Ugh. So I read that moulting takes about 3 months. Is that 3 months of miserable or does that generally taper off?

Put our big old Buff Sussex in with Miss Moulter. She could keep anything warm. Now I have to get up at day break to make sure they got along!

Mine average about 3 months. I have some breeds that molt quicker and are back to laying within 2 months. And some that take forever. (English Orps - but they have a ton of feathers to grow back in) It also depends on how hard their molt is.

 

[aoxa]

Mine average about 3 months.  I have some breeds that molt quicker and are back to laying within 2 months.  And some that take forever. (English Orps - but they have a ton of feathers to grow back in)  It also depends on how hard their molt is. 

Don't the better layers molt faster? I had a hen take a very long time, and started in February and still didn't finish completely until June. She was weird.. :/

 

[KatGold]

KatGold - yes, that's molting.

My buttercup is still losing feathers, so I may get a better picture.

Thank you!

What about that crazy head? It's looked like that for months. Could it be that is where her molt started and it took this long for her body to catch up?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
That's the buzzard look. When I've had that happen with hens the head is the last to fill back in.