Lay - molt pattern of fall chicks

[fatcatx]

This is my first year of raising chicks during pumpkin spice time and wondered what to expect.

My (early)spring chicks start laying in the fall and pretty much keep going until the following fall's molt. These chicks will not start laying until Feb/March. Am I only going to get 6 months of eggs before their first molt?

 

[azygous]

They won't molt the first year after beginning to lay and will wait until the following fall. Heck, I had a Cream Legbar that went almost two years until her first molt. Wearing the same outfit for two winters resulted in a very frowzy look, let me tell you.

 

[fatcatx]

Awesome! I was worried I skunked myself in the egg production Dept.
Wow - if they wait that long to molt I can see why they would look a little unkempt. Maybe I'll have to give them a day at the salon in the spring.

 

[AUChickenGal]

My first chicks were hatched exactly one year ago last week. They started laying in late February of this year. Of the two that I retained in my flock, one is molting (and looks dreadful), while they other is still laying about 5 eggs per week.

 

[aart]

They may ...or may not .....molt next fall, you won't know for sure until then.