hard molt

[scooter147]

Has anyone else noticed their chickens going through a hard or severe molt?
What I mean is out of my 30 hens about ten of them are half naked. I honestly don't remember in all my years of keeping chickens thme losing this many feathers all at once.
Last night when I went to lock up I had three hens huddled in the corner (not on roost). I thought that is really weird. So when I picked them up I noticed that they had lost all of their flight feathers. I don't know if I have every seen that, usually they loose flight feathers a couple at a time. So they were not able to get up on the roost. My first pole is 30 inches off the ground.

I am giving a few hand fulls of cat food in the morning for extra protien and letting them free range for about an hour to find other good high protien goodies in the yard.

It has been a weird year as far as weather is concerned and has been unusually cool here for this time of year, I suspect this has something to do with it.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I have 3 bald hens, pitiful looking. I could roast them and not have to pluck!!

Worst molt I have ever seen my flock of 35 adults go through. Lots of protein being fed believe me!

 

[THough1956]

yes, Mine and everyone else I have spoken to in my area also. Worst in years. Wonder why?

 

[CMV]

Same here. I had one go through a hard molt about a month ago. I thought it was done. Now, all the rest of my hens are going through it. My yard looks like a feather pillow (or 3) exploded. My girls seem really cold, too. It's gotten really cold really quick, and my birds are half bald.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

same goes

Bald on the top, bald on the bottom.

I have soo many chicken recipes

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, roosters look kind of weird with no tail feathers. It has been a strange year in the garden too.