Is this molting or is something wrong with my girls?

[disneygirlaudra]

My older girls are 16 months old and two out of six of them have dry brittle looking feathers and one is even missing feathers on her belly. The barred rock looks like it has patches of healthier brighter feathers so I wondered if they were just molting orbiting f something was wrong with them. They are laying fine and looking healthy otherwise. Thanks.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

The one with the issing tummy feathers what does she act like.Does she scream at you when you go for her eggs,does she puff up and try looking tugh ofte?

 

[disneygirlaudra]

No, not at all. I've had broody hens before that did that though. This one doesn't stay on the nest all day either.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Broody hens are suppose to pluck feathers from their breasts,to their stomachs.those feathers just look like their getting old and are just rottening away,getting pulled etc.Doesn't look like molting at all to me (My hens do this often,one is naked,it's just old feathers.

 

[disneygirlaudra]

Ok, thank you. I'm still kind of new to this.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Yeah my first experience with this odd feather thing worried me but then a whole 6 months later ahes still triving.