How long does Chicken Molt

[Lin_0330]

Hi,

I have a golden top and she has not laid or go broody since November.
I can see she has lost some feathers on her chest so maybe it is because she is molting.
But it has been few months now and she still has a bald chest.
Their daily diet consists layer pellets, bird seeds, meal worms, greens, and leftovers rice.
Weekly, I turn the soil and they will find a lot earthworm.
Should have enough proteins.

Couldn't find any sign of parasites, I clean their coop everyday, and just in case, I have put diatomaceous earth on her and in their sand bath area.

All her roommates have no sign of feather loss, and is laying everyday. They are all around 1 year old.

So I am just wondering is this normal? She only has this little bit feather loss on her chest not the whole body. And is been like that for at last three months.

This is when she went broody and I put her in the sink. She was not bald.

 

[azygous]

Here in the northern hemisphere, chickens are going into spring laying and have mostly completed molt. However, there can be an occasional individual that molts according to her own time table. I have such a hen. She is looking real frowzy at present because she has decided to do her yearly molt at the beginning of summer, instead of fall.

If you're in the southern hemisphere, chickens are just beginning to start molt. But chickens can molt at any time for any reason. It appears from the pin feathers visible in your photos that your hen is probably molting.

However, her feather loss could be from the way she sleeps on her perch or from parasites or from others plucking her feathers. I recommend looking on her skin to be sure she doesn't have bugs, and watch the flock to be sure others aren't regularly removing her feathers. By the way DE doesn't do anything to get rid of parasites. You would need a poultry dusting powder with permethrin.

 

[Lin_0330]

Google said molting usually takes 8-12 weeks.
But she has been like that for more than 5 months now.
Still no laying and very small quantities of feathers loss from breast.

There is no sign of parasites, her mates are all normal - no feather loss and lays everyday.

I can't tell what could be the issue, she is not at the bottom of the pecking order, no hen peck on her, she will actually peck others. She is not acting itchy/lazy/stressed/broody but very energetic, loves mealworms, bathing under sun and in sand as usual.

My mum is planing to eat her as she is not laying for so long

 

[Lin_0330]

They are all 1 year and 3 months old. Still very young.
There is feather loss from her hat as well, it was very fluffy brushy before but since their "molt", it becomes very thin, and stays like that ever since

As mentioned above, they get a lot of proteins, I don't know why her "molt" takes so long and feather doesn't grow back. I really hope she will start to lay again before my mum turn her into a soup