Help! Chicken is Molting in November

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wymustang66

wymustang66

Hatching
5 Years
Nov 3, 2014
7
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7
Hi I am glad to be a new member of this group. I hope ya'll can help me!



I have had a lot of chickens in my life time but I had to get rid of all of my chickens because the doctors kept thinking I had pneumonia and sent me to a lung doctor. The doctor said I was allergic to the feathers and poop. I know this is going to sound crazy but exactly one month after selling all of my chickens I had one (1) stray chicken come to my house in October 2013. I have a 6 ft fence around the entire property except the drive way which is the only one on my road. None of my neighbors have chickens. Well to make a long story short I let her stay here and she thinks she is a dog. She did not start laying until early this year she is young. Well it is now November and she is molting. I live in Wyoming and it is starting to get cold. I have never had a chicken molt this late in the year. What do I do? She has free range and goes in the barn at night and sleeps on top of the gate.I have wormed her and she gets laying pellets, scratch, oyster shells and grit when the ground is frozen. I also give her a few mill worms daily. She has a nice roost and laying area but would rather be on that gate. I do not have heat in the barn and I do not keep lights on. Has anyone ever had this problem? Thanks for any help or advice in advance.

 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Although you may have heard or even experience chickens molting only in early fall this is wrong. Chickens can molt any time of year with falling being the most common. I have five hens and three of them had their annual molt in july this year! They haven't molted this fall at all.

So continue to give her lots of protein. Eggs, mealworms, meat scraps, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. She doesn't look that bad.

Good luck!
 
Oh that picture is before she started molting. She has feathers every where.. I am scared she is going to be naked and freeze to death. We had our first snow night before last.When she walks or the wind blows which is constant in Wyoming feathers go every where.
 
Thanks well at least I feel better knowing Rhoda is not the only one molting in Wyoming!
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I think she is beautiful. Maybe you can go to a second hand shop and find a t-shirt or two for infants that might fit her. Some people even knit sweaters for their hens.
 
wymustang66 said:
Thanks well at least I feel better knowing Rhoda is not the only one molting in Wyoming!
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You're very welcome! Hard for people to understand when we talk about Wyoming winds, isn't it? You know you're in Wyoming when you step out the door and get a mouthful of Idaho! A town near us has roofs that are literally anchored by straps attached to rods driving deep into the ground. In winter winds of 30 mph are not unusual, with gust of 50-60! Yep, it's windy here.
 
I thought about that but then she would not be able to fly up on her gate at night.... unless maybe I cut out for her wings...lol
 
Yea that is the only thing I do not like about Wyoming... Can not stand when the wind blows all the time.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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We're glad to have you.

As long as she has a place to get out of the wind, she will likely be fine.

Good luck with her!
 

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