Hard molt during cold winter

[jamia]

One of my girls has been molting a couple weeks. It started with just her head, now her entire head and neck are bare, along with a spot on her back down near her tail. It gets pretty cold here, about 30 degrees F during the day and down to 20 degrees F or even colder at night. Should I be worried about her staying warm? Especially if the molt gets worse? At this rate, she'll be completely naked in a week or two. I would rather not put any supplemental head (afraid of fires) so I'm considering bringing her inside. I know there will be a reacclimation period when she gets reintroduced to the flock in the spring, but I don't want her to freeze out there. How cold is too cold for them?

 

[azygous]

Your location would help. We have no idea what you consider "cold". Someone from Florida might experience high 30s as unbearably cold, while others consider it a "warming trend".

Are you sure this is molt? Are there uniform erupting pin feathers in the bald patches? You should not be seeing perfectly smooth bald skin.

As long as a molting chicken consumes adequate calories, she generates her own heat. She also will huddle between others for radiated warmth.

Removing a chicken from the flock causes so many problems for them, we only do it for critically serious reasons such as safety and the need to monitor and treat for serious illness.