Heavier than normal fall molt predicted hard winter?

[Foristers]

I posted a thread in a local small farm group on Facebook back in November, when it was still relatively comfortable in my area. At that time I had no idea what this winter would become. Here was my post from November 3, 2017 from that local Facebook group:

"Has anyone heard that chickens predict a bad winter? I read this once in an old book (1950's?) that I can't find any where now. It said (basically) that if they molt light it will be a mild winter but if they molt heavy then it's going to be a bad winter. Last year my chickens molted light and it was a mild winter. This year they are molting like they are trying to make a feather bed. Is it just a old wives' tale or is there something to it? Hmmm... Perhaps we shall see.."

The response that I got from that thread was overwhelmingly (95%) from people who said that they had noticed that their backyard chickens were likewise molting very heavy this year. Egg production in all flocks (of those that replied) had dropped much more than normal. Some people chimed in to say that their horses and cows and put on a much thicker coat than normal. We all began to wonder just how bad this winter was going to be, or if the rumor was true. It is starting to appear that it might have some validity...

So I am curious how has you flock been this past fall and now winter of 2017/2018? Have you noticed a heavy molt? Have you heard that chickens might just predict the hard winter? Eager to find out...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Many of mine experienced a hard molt. 3 are still molting in this bitter weather. I always look to the animals and plants to determine what kind of winter we will have. I have no clue how they know, but they are always right.

 

[Welshies]

I have experienced a light (if at all) molt.

 

[blackdog043]

Mine had a light molt and have started to lay again, in the past few days. They are 10 months old.

 

[orrpeople]

Folks just starting out with chickens for the first time this year (chicks in Feb/March) will not experience a molt until the next fall\winter.

 

[silly4buttons]

Almost all my9 chickens when threw a very had molt I got nervous about all the feathers loss they are ok the feathers came in so beautiful

 

[PennyM]

I have 5 chickens that are just a little over 10 months old and they just started molting beginning of December! Two have ratty looking heads, two have no tail feathers, one has partial tail feathers and some have ratty neck feathers. One of my EEs tail feathers finally grew back in and my other EE who is my only egg layer right now is only doing a very light molt!

 

[aart]

Depends on what birds you are talking about....
...pullets do sometimes molt in their first fall, often it's not a full or a hard molt.

Older birds will molt harder or softer as is their inclination, don't think it has much to do with the weather ahead. Tho we had a mild fall and now it brutal out there, some of my birds molted pretty hard later than usual.

Mammals growing heavy coats might be more indicative of weather ahead than bird molt.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Depends on what birds you are talking about....
...pullets do sometimes molt in their first fall, often it's not a full or a hard molt.

Older birds will molt harder or softer as is their inclination, don't think it has much to do with the weather ahead. Tho we had a mild fall and now it brutal out there, some of my birds molted pretty hard later than usual.

Mammals growing heavy coats might be more indicative of weather ahead than bird molt.

So why do you think I still have molting birds? Any theories? It is the first time I have seen such late molting.

 

[aart]

So why do you think I still have molting birds? Any theories? It is the first time I have seen such late molting.

I have no idea......mine are still molting too, bunch of feathers on the poop boards today. Some of my birds molted in August, some started just a week or two ago.