How many of you have molting birds right now

[vtchickenlady]

Mine are in their second molt in 5 months

They just turned one year in April. Anything special you're doing for yours?

 

[kawonu]

All of our Calls are in molt now. The geese are starting. I haven't seen the chickens start yet.

 

[Cats Critters]

I think mine are starting, but I'm not sure yet.

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

We're getting fewer eggs the last few days and I'm noticing just a few feathers here and there. I'm not sure if they're moulting or not though. It's a subject I don't know much about (I thought they moulted in late summer) and we're newbies. We've had the girls for about 5 weeks.

Would any of the pros out there care to comment?

TIA!!!

 

[SproutGirl]

We have a hen who I think it moulting now. In my brief experience, they never do it by the book.

 

[speckledhen]

I have several whose necks are completely bare and most of their heads and backs, too. Some finished molting a month or two ago and some are in a prolonged one.

 

[dancingbear]

This is the weirdest year for molting. Mine normally only have a full molt in the fall, and a light one in the spring. Now, I have some half-nekkid hens running around, I was wondering if they were molting yet again, or if they gotten invaded by mites. It looks like a molt, that particular pattern I always see.

The weather's been very odd, so maybe that's why. It was unusually cool longer than normal, then suddenly hotter than Hades, then cooling again...and very wet. (Nice for my garden, though) They're still laying pretty well, though. I'm getting lots of eggs, even with a bunch of the gals off on "maternity leave".

 

[Sequin]

My girls have been dropping more than the typical amount of feathers within maybe the last month and I now only get 2 MAYBE 3 eggs a day, whereas before that I was getting 4 a day(from 4 hens). So, I suspect they are going into their molt. Fortunately, I should be having some new layers start laying soon, so that will help.

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

We have 10 pullets/hens (not sure of their ages.) We bought them from a neighbor that had a flock of 70+ chickens. We told them we wanted started pullets and they hand-picked them. In the 5 weeks we've had them, we've never gotten 10 eggs in one day. Can't remember more than 8.

This has been the egg #s for the past 13 days: 8,5,7,8,5,7,7,3,6,5,5,3 and 4 today, so far. Totally unpredictable.

I have no idea if this is normal or if it is indicative of younger hens or what???

It's not really a problem; we are getting plenty of eggs for our use. But when we're feeding (and spoiling

) 10 chickens and getting an average of 5-6 eggs/day, it just makes us wonder. Heck, maybe some aren't even laying yet. How would we know unless we move in with them? Some I can't even tell apart.

DH thinks I spoil them too much. He says they spend their whole day gathered inside the gate, just waiting for me to appear (usually with goodies) instead of laying eggs. (It is kinda like having your own personal fan club!

)

I told him "nice try", but when a chicken's gotta lay, a chicken's gotta lay.

Right???

The girls are beautiful and seem perfectly healthy, so we'll just be patient and see how things progress.

 

[joletabey]

What is a "light molt"? Just a few feathers left behind here and there and a slightly rumpled look in a few areas on the hen? And less eggs?
I thought they only molted in the fall, also, but I am very much a newbie still learning! Do they really lose ALL the feathers? All at once? Is that a naive, silly questions?
Thanks to any who answer!