greasy looking neck cape and losing neck feathers...is that moulting?

[jtaul]

Hi, new chicken guardian with a ~4 year old chicken who brooded on a wooden egg the entire month of June, then perked up once it was removed. Does molting always follow brooding? Sometime in July, her neck cape started to look a little greasy/black/droopy and those feathers are starting to fall out. It is starting to cover a wider area of her neck, but I am not finding a lot of feathers gone elsewhere on body.

She has been laying eggs every day or day and a half in July/August,but stopped one week ago. She is otherwise curious, energetic, and a good eater.

I've searched google and forums for pictures, but I really can't find anything that looks similar. Does this look familiar to anybody?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some will molt partially after being broody, and sometimes hens go through a neck molt in the spring. She will probably quit laying in the fall sometime between now and December and go through a full body molt.

 

[aart]

Could be a neck molt...take a look at her skin there you might see new pin feathers growing in.....but be gentle, pin feathers can be uncomfortable when growing.
She looks pretty darn good for 4 years old.