How long is a moult?

[cwmhaf]

Our Dorking Cockerel seems to have stated moulting about after he came to us about 2.5 months ago. He started loosing feathers just above his breast, or below his throat. This initially worried me, they have a dust bath with DE in it, they have DE in the shavings and sawdust in the coop. Then the feathers on his breast started to grow back, so decided he was just moulting, he has got scruffier and scruffier ever since, not bald by any stretch of the imagination, but still loosing feathers! How long does a moult last and how long before he is back in full bloom???

Rita & Jeff Lloyd

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Is he in with a flock of hens and what precisely are you feeding them?

 

[cwmhaf]

He is with 2 hens (we want to get more soon???) and two very gentle Dewlap Toulouse young geese.Organic Laying Pellets, food quality DE, grit, powdered sterile eggshells, river water with a few drips of tonic., Some scraps, including some fruit, dry organic oats, occasionally some cake bits, some fish bait live maggots, once or twice a month. They are totally free range and nothing has been grown here for over 30 years.
Hope this helps???many thanks

Rita & Jeff Lloyd

 

[Happy Chooks]

My birds average about 3 months. Some are quicker at molting, and some are slower.

 

[cwmhaf]

Oh, 3 months OK,no need to panic then??? The Dorkings have a handful of organic layers pellets, with food grade DE, grit and powdered sterile egg shell, they have 3 acres to forage,not that they have ventured very far yet, only about 1/2 an acre so far. Is the handful enough?? My husband has, obviously, a man's size hand.