Isn`t it to late to start molting?????

[henney penny]

Some of my buff orpintons that turned a year old in April are molting right now,is that normal ,my goodness it snowed here last night and is very cold.There poop boards are full of feathers that fell out of them while they slept.So I am not getting any eggs either.Could there be something else wrong why they would be losing there feathers at this time of year?

 

[Judy]

Around 18 months is as usual time to molt. It doesn't seem to stop them that this may come when the weather is turning cold.

 

[OregonChickenGal]

It's normal, some of my hens are molting also. Every morning, new feathers all over the place.

 

[bethgranberg]

My buff orphington is also molting right now actually just finishing up it is quite cold here too at night but we have had soe very warm nice weather during the day here. I am not worried just let nature take its course although she is not laying from what I understand that is normal.

 

[CMV]

Last year my birds were molting right into December. By Christmas we had feet of snow on the ground and I had half bald chickens. They did fine after a fashion. They wouldn't go out in the inclement weather and avoided going out on windy days, but otherwise seemed to be their normal (albeit bald) selves. The cold doesn't bother my birds overmuch anyway.

It is supposed to be a sign of a good producing bird when they molt this late. It means they will get their feathers sooner and go through the process quicker than a bird that starts to molt earlier in the season. As a result, they lay more eggs over the course of their lives.

Good luck.

 

[henney penny]

Thanks so much for the answers,my egg customers make me feel so guilty asking what I was doing to my chickens to make them stop laying.