Losing feathers in the winter

[Goatmum]

I don’t know what’s going on. Our four Buff Orpingtons have started to lose a bunch of feathers. Its winter here in Wisconsin. We feed them Kalmbach HenHouse Reserve. They are out of the elements. I’m at a complete loss as to why they’re losing feathers.

 

[azygous]

I'll go you one better. I have three hens not yet one year old, and they are all dropping feathers like a blizzard when by all the rules of molt, they shouldn't be molting until next fall.

Chickens break molting rules all the time. A hen that waits two years until her first molt, check. A hen who takes over a year to complete molt, check. A hen who molts partially, then stops before all the feather are in, check. A hen who has giant bald spots and no signs of getting on with replacing the feathers even though it's mid winter and freezing, check.

The good news is that chickens still in some stage or another of molt and showing no signs of urgency in getting the feathers in will not freeze. As long as you feed enough calories, especially before roosting, enough body heat will be generated to keep the chicken warm. She will also uncannily position herself between two other warm bodies and syphon off some heat from her pals.

 

[Quarterhorses1]

I gave a molten too. She does it every winter

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I'd agree that they are likely just molting. Sometimes they can look pretty rough for awhile, this is normal.

Good luck and best wishes!

 

[Outer limit]

I don’t know what’s going on. Our four Buff Orpingtons have started to lose a bunch of feathers. Its winter here in Wisconsin. We feed them Kalmbach HenHouse Reserve. They are out of the elements. I’m at a complete loss as to why they’re losing feathers.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have 4, 14 week old chickies going through that first adolescent molt they do at that age. It mid winter here in Canada and I really feel for them. I have a cozy Coop heat panels they like to snuggle up to during the day. At night they either sleep in a nest box or snuggle up together.

They seem to be doing ok, but I make sure they r getting extra calories, and some scratch grain before going to bed.

 

[Ponypoor]

I don’t know what’s going on. Our four Buff Orpingtons have started to lose a bunch of feathers. Its winter here in Wisconsin. We feed them Kalmbach HenHouse Reserve. They are out of the elements. I’m at a complete loss as to why they’re losing feathers.

I have a similar issue with one of my silkies:

Have you experienced this? My one silkie Fluffy is looking very raggidy, I got a look at her tonight and all her feathers are gone on her belly from tail to base of neck with just a strip of feathers remaining along her keel, so bald on both sides of her breast/belly.

I do not see any creepy crawlies, and her feathers are white and clean other wise. I know her wing feathers are also just terrible, with what appears just the stalks now.

I do not see anyone else like this and the other silkie a frizzle seems ok.

Any thoughts? I don't think molting as I don't see any white feathers around. I am thinking the rooster is somehow to blame for all this, but how do I account for the belly being bald,?

 

[LateBirdFarms]

I have a similar issue with one of my silkies:

Have you experienced this? My one silkie Fluffy is looking very raggidy, I got a look at her tonight and all her feathers are gone on her belly from tail to base of neck with just a strip of feathers remaining along her keel, so bald on both sides of her breast/belly.

I do not see any creepy crawlies, and her feathers are white and clean other wise. I know her wing feathers are also just terrible, with what appears just the stalks now.

I do not see anyone else like this and the other silkie a frizzle seems ok.

Any thoughts? I don't think molting as I don't see any white feathers around. I am thinking the rooster is somehow to blame for all this, but how do I account for the belly being bald,?

The silly girl is likely broody. Do you collect eggs regularly? My silkies had a bad habit of going broody anytime an egg stayed in place longer than a day. Regardless of season.
Eta I've got one girl who desperately tried to hatch a clump of snow last year.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've got two hens starting to molt late, I'm not worried about it, since everyone molts at different times.

 

[Outer limit]

We have 9 buff orps doing the same thing here in Kentucky winter. They have adequate coop and nice sized sanded pen. I did switch them from 16% organic layer back to their 18% grower about a month and a half ago when I noticed one hen losing a lot of feathers. I thought they might be feather picking from not enough protein. Especially since the weather had been wet and cold, and they weren’t out in their tractor regularly to get bugs and worms. I had also been giving them a cup and a half of scratch on days below freezing. In addition, i did a major coop clean ( even though I clean it regularly twice a month), used organic spray for mites in coop and on hens in case they were picking feathers because of cooties. Started putting Durvet’s vitamin supplement in their water 4 or 5 times a week in case they were vitamin A deficient. Also started giving them a can of mackerel mixed with their feed twice per week for extra vitamin A and protein. Started giving my balding hen Rooster Booster Cell every day for a week, then 3 times a week, then once per week. Note that I never really witnessed more than an occasional aggressive feather pull. My hen recovered, grew back her feathers, and things seemed to get back to normal for about 3 weeks. However, I have had feathers all over the pen for the past week now and they seem to be coming from most of my hens…vent area and around legs. We have had a lot of cold, dry weather, and they have been dusting a lot. Every time they do, I see more feathers. They are laying average of 3-4 eggs daily, some days even 5 or 6, despite winter light and conditions. They are active and seem happy. I have seen them occasionally picking each other’s butt feathers, but not anything out of the ordinary. I sprayed them all with Stop That Pecking spray earlier today. The only other thing I can think of is that they are bored or stressed by the recent weather extremes here. They ignore mirrors and toys unless the toys are food related. Food related toys result in competition and aggressive pecking They do enjoy the occasional head of cabbage, lettuce, etc. when placed in 2 separate hangers. It is hard to keep them entertained without introducing more food . I have never raised chickens on my own before. Just helped Granny. Could they just be molting early?