Have your chickens begun their seasonal molt alreay?

[Doodle_Doo]

my phoenix is in molt for about three weeks now..he lost his 3 foot tail..

and every day in his pen there are feathers every where and is very moody

its his first molt so cant wait for his new feathers..

 

[maine chicks]

7 of my 14 2-3 year old chickens are molting. Guinea feathers are starting to pile up as well. Love those little poka dots.

 

[Imp]

So a couple days ago I mowed the yard and found flight feathers from at least 3 of the hens.
This morning about 5am I hear at least 2 of the hens screaming. I've never heard that noise before, so in complete panic I go running into the yard ready to do hand to hand with a raccoon/possum/bear/chupacabra cross. When I opened the coop I found complete darkness, unable to see anything I run back to the house for a flashlight. Well, thankfully no mutant animal to battle, it appears that one of the hens tried to get up into the 3rd level of the coop (think rafter storage) and managed to bring down the shelf w/ everything on it. Fortunately none were hurt. I picked up the pieces.
But back to molting- it looks like at least 2 of the hens exploded- fluffy feathers everywhere. At least 2 of the 4 are seriously molting. I'm kind of glad they are early this year, maybe it will be over before it gets cold.

Imp- Does it really get cold in Seattle?

 

[Aymitelli]

Hi all,

I was going to start a thread with this topic but then I found this already started!! I'm a newbie with 3 - 11 week old pullets and I just started to see what seems like a lot more extra feathers in their coop/run. (on the order of 15-20 instead of the normal 3-4.) I wasn't sure if this was a moult or not (having never experienced one). they all seem happy and healthy - so everything else is the same except the extar feathers I was noticing. Do pullets moult? Or I guess, will they go into a hard moult this young? Or is what I'm seeing about as bad as it will get if they are trying to moult at this age?

~Amy

 

[Lennie]

I have two hens that started molting this week. The interesting thing to me is that they are both exactly the same age (only 7 months) and are from the same supplier (Murray McMurray), but completely different breeds. One is a golden laced polish - the other an EE. Both also quit laying last week.

My other two hens are also the same age (6 months) and are also from the same supplier (I don't know which though, because I got them as 3 months olds from a lady in town. One is an EE also - the other is a black Australorp. Both are still laying every day and have no signs of molting.

I find this really odd. Any thoughts? I'm a newbie to chickens and don't have experience with previous chickens.

Thanks for any input on the matter.

 

[BlackBart]

Yes, inside the coops looks like something has been killed inside, there are so many feathers. Egg production has dropped.
Put vitamins in their drinking water.
Lots of weirdly bald chickens running around.

 

[PatS]

Amy, it is normal for young chickens like yours to drop feathers as the next set get ready to grow in.

My question is about chickens who are beginning their second fall season (about 16 months old). I have one who looks terrible. I see no indication of bugs on her, but she is the only one who looks anywhere near this bad. She is acting very skittish and super submissive. She hides most of the day. (Kinda reminds me of when I had acne in the 8th grade.) Is a severe behavior change common during a molt? The other girls varied from looking completely normal to those who looked a little shabby. But this girl looks terrible. The funny thing is, while egg production in the flock is way down, Little Miss Ugly hardly misses a day. Should I worry? How long does a molt usually last? She's been this way for 3-4 weeks.

 

[Lennie]

I forgot to add that the two molting hens also stopped squatting and are everything BUT submissive. Now, they're complaining all the time. Before they were so sweet and submissive.

 

[emys]

Yes, molting chickens will often change normal behavioral habits, dominant hens can start hiding out more, submissive hens become much bossier around the food bowl and so on.

Just as your chickens may not have started laying all at the same time, they may not start molting all at the same time.

Your hen that looks all ragged and is still laying is exactly what production houses have been selecting for. It is normal for her, and she will eventually get all her feathers back - just watch out for any sudden cold snaps which might catch her with a naked butt.

 

[flockof4]

My EE has been molting for a few weeks now, with feathers everywhere. My Buff Orp is just starting to molt. And my RIR and Black Australorp are still laying eggs and have all their feathers.