How early for the first molt?

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I've got a light brahma pullet I think is going through her first molt. She's been losing feathers like crazy for about a week and is quite ugly at the moment. My flock consists of 27 other birds and all of them are around 12 weeks, just like her. However, she is the only one that is doing this. I picked her up and checked her for mites and other parasites, but she doesn't have a single one, plus if it were a parasite problem I would figure the other birds would have them too. Is a first molt at three months normal for a standard size brahma? Could it be anything else? She doesn't act sick or anything, she's just steadily balding.

 

[Happy Chooks]

A juvenile molt happens at that age, but you shouldn't be seeing bare patches on the bird. You'll just see feathers laying around. If you have bare patches, then something else is going on, like feather picking.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I guess I wouldn't say there are bare patches, but there are places on her legs and under her chin that don't have any adult feathers left on them. You can just see little white specks where new feathers will grow. I have been watching her and nobody is picking at her when I'm outside, anyway. Her skin isn't irritated or bloody, and plus they are all free range so they should have unlimited space. The places aren't really big, but they are visible from about 10 feet. Maybe it is just her juvenile molt. There are so many little white downy feathers everywhere around the coop that my hubby called me stressed out while I was away the other day because he thought something got one lol.