Heavier than normal fall molt predicted hard winter?

[Foristers]

It's really an interesting concept. I was just talking about it with my husband and he proposed that speculating that feather loss and drop in egg production meant that chickens have some way of predicting future weather trends.

I countered then maybe they do have some inner barometer or whatever that can do that. What if? I asked him. Before this polar vortex hit, I noticed that there were a lot of geese suddenly heading south. I counted three large flocks just within an hour or so of being outside working in my run and coop. They sense when the weather changes and try to move out of the way of it where they can find open water.

Maybe chickens and other molting birds can do the same thing.

Exactly. I think that there might be something to it.

It's funny but I was talking to someone back in October when I first noticed the feather build-up and I had this idea. They told me that this was likely going to be a very mild winter because of a La Nina pattern. I said, "I'll make my wager on the chickens".

 

[microchick]

So far if they know what they are doing they are spot on and ahead of the Farmer's Almanac which was calling for our winter to be mild and wet.

Wrong and wrong on their part.

 

[HawaiiAraucanas]

I would love to find out! And where in the country they are as well.

Just got a reply over email, They said the molting this winter was light to medium, and the eggs production was normal (18 eggs a day). They live In Vernon Arizona.

 

[Foristers]

Just got a reply over email, They said the molting this winter was light to medium, and the eggs production was normal (18 eggs a day). They live In Vernon Arizona.

Thank you for letting us know!
I wonder if that has implications for weather in that area.