Is it normal for chickens to be losing feathers this time of year?

[FarmGirl21]

My egg layers have started losing a lot of feathers in the last week or so and have stopped laying eggs as well. So I was wondering about it being the wrong time of year for them to molt cause its getting pretty cold here at night. They are all about two years old a could about a year younger and a couple that are older but im not sure how old. Thanks.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

A lot of mine are molting. Its not cold here yet. They usually stop laying when they molt. I'm not sure about molting in the winter. I know today I got one egg from 12 hens.

 

[chickens4jojo]

Quite a few of my hens are also molting and have stopped laying, too. My children thought they were going to pass away because they looked so "skinny" and well, not very pretty anymore because of it! But they are healthy eaters still.

 

[MissChessy]

My hens are moulting right now and they are not very happy either.

They stay in the hen house and just kind of pout and won't even let me get near them. Before they started moulting, they would let me pet them and ahhh not right now! It's like "stay away from me, I'm not very pretty right now!"

 

[rooster-red]

I have 28 hens and moulting is at its peak here right now.

I'm getting 2 eggs a day instead of the 20 I average through spring & summer.

Moulting can last from 2 weeks up to 3 months.

Not all hens moult at the same rate, even if they are the same breed.

 

[WriterofWords]

I haven't any moulting on the Chickens and one duck, a drake, lost his green head feathers but they are growing back already. I've been wondering about it.

 

[FarmGirl21]

Should the rooster be molting then too? it seems like they're all wearing a necklace of nakedness...I first thought they might have been plucking themselves.

 

[Beekissed]

My yard and henhouse looks like someone had a big ol' feather pillow fight! Feathers everywhere and its down to nearly freezing at night here, so I'm upping the feed for the gals and guys and hoping to see that smooth, sleek, shiney look come back to my scraggly flock!

 

[junebug7334]

mine are doing the same...and I forgot about moulting so I was like......what's going on?

 

[LesGan]

New to chix world. One hen out of 3 hens and 1 roo has no feathers on her "belly" between her legs. She lost feathers on back earlier and regrew them within last month. Is she molting in sections? Bare skin on belly looks irritated now. Is there something I can put on her skin to help calm it...such a spray of sulfur or food grade DE? I keep wondering if she has some skin condition. She looks very unkept but has continued to lay well and is very lively. Thanks.