Is My Hen Molting?pics

[dinahmoe]

HEY!JUST WONDERING IF THIS HEN IS MOLTING.SHE IS 8 MONTHS OLD.I THOUGHT THEY MOLTED IN THE SUMMER.

SHE HASN'T REALLY LOST ANY FEATHERS ON HER BODY(MAYBE THAT COMES NEXT).SHE HAS 1 TAIL FEATHER LEFT AND LOOKS FUNNY AROUND HER HEAD(SHE IS THE ONLY ONE OUT OF SEVEN SHO LOOK THIS WAY.)THE AREA ON HER BACK IS WHERE THE FEATHERS ARE JUST GETTING BACK TO NORMAL FROM THE ROOSTER DAMAGE

.ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO I GOT RID OF THE ROOSTERS AND SHE BECAME GRUMPY.I THOUGHT SHE JUST DECIDED TO TAKE OVER WHERE THEY LEFT OFF.ALL OF MY HENS ARE REALLY NICE AND GET ALONG WELL WITH EACH OTHER .BUT SHE JUST SEEMS LIKE SHE IS MAD AT ME.I READ WHERE THEY CAN GET GRUMPY DURING MOLT.IF SHE IS MOLTING NOW WOULD HER ATTITUDE HAVE CHANGED 6 WEEKS AGO.

SHE DOES LEAVVE MARKS ON ME WITH HER BEAK AND I AM GLAD SHE DOESN'T HAVE SPURS.WILL HER ATTITUDE GO BACK TO BEING NICE WHEN SHE IS OVER HER ORDEAL?

 

[purpletree23]

That's one ornery hen! You took away her man and now she molting and it's cold outside. Poor baby!

I have a hen who is molting also and it's 7 degrees here WITHOUT the windchill. Give her food with extra protein such as beans and scrambled eggs and a little dry cat food that has a protein formula based on meat and not grain. A little scratch would be a nice treat too.

Take care.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

Chickens typically begin their molt around the neck area. You can see the new quills appearing. She looks perfectly normal for a molting hen....and fiesty!

 

[CityClucks]

Looks like molting to me - and mine always seem to molt in the colder months...poor birds!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

As others have said looks like she is molting. Yes it can make them very grumpy - those new feathers are stiff and itchy, old feathers are falling out and may tickle or itch.


If you feed her beans make sure they are well cooked. An increase in protien is always good - protien is required to produce/grow feathers and to make eggs. (You can also feed a higher protien pellet/crumble)

 

[GardeNerd]

I had an Easter Egger that molted at the same age as yours and it was late fall when she started. Her behavior was like she had a bad case of chicken PMS. She went from being a gentle calm hen, to a a grumpy skittish one.

 

[biddyboo]

Your red hen looks like mine did a couple weeks ago. I since posted asking the forum if she might be in molt or if she was being badly pecked. Now she looks rather like a Turken, bare neck on back of neck and sides, with quills sticking out like a porcupine. I thought she'd gone through molt in late summer when she looked very scruffy, then she became glossy and full feathered looking, and now, in freezing temps, bare necked. I've taken the comments of the forum to judge that it's a strange late molt and she'll survive. Thank goodness she's not trying to bite chunks of me like yours seems to want to do with you! Good luck to both of us that our hens will turn out okay with time and regrowth. ~G

 

[dinahmoe]

thank you to everyone who offered advice.i have them on layer crumbles mixed with alittle scratch and horse sweet feed.plus they get fresh rye grass and any grubs i can find(almost daily).i will support her with more protien and lots of hugs thru her difficult time.