MJ's little flock

[Aussie-Chookmum]

She is also hogging the nest box and taking everyone else's eggs to sit on.

 

[LozzyR]

Yep, Pepper has gone broody again and is in broody jail. She is only 4 months old and hardly weighs anything, I don't think she would survive a broody trance.

Are we absolutely sure our broody girls aren’t sneaking onto Beakbook and group chatting?! Maybe they’re sharing techniques and how to bring it on...

 

[Shadrach]

Mary's molting again

There are black feathers scattered all about. She had a very thorough molt in autumn.

Do hens molt if they're too hot? I thought autumn was the right time?

Do I need to worry?

If she is otherwise healthy then no, you don't need to worry; you probably still will though.
Chickens can and do moult at any time of year. There is no biological connection between moulting and not laying eggs. It just happens that most have a major moult at that time of year. Interesting to note that roosters don't have these major annual molts.
Also worth checking if you can that she isn't pulling feathers out herself and no one else is doing it for her.

 

[Ribh]

The trailers for that seem very quirky. I wonder if I can convince hubby to see it with me?
Let us know what you think of it Ribh

I'm probably going by myself so getting away could be problematic but if I manage it I will let you know.

 

[MaryJanet]

Oooh! Thanks for pointing it out rjohns, I didn't notice.

Congratulations MJ!

Thank you @Aussie-Chookmum ! Not sure who nominated me, but it would've been one of you peeps. If it was you: thanks x 2!!

 

[MaryJanet]

She is also hogging the nest box and taking everyone else's eggs to sit on.

Oh boy. Pesky Pepper.

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone and congrats MJ

 

[MaryJanet]

If she is otherwise healthy then no, you don't need to worry; you probably still will though.
Chickens can and do moult at any time of year. There is no biological connection between moulting and not laying eggs. It just happens that most have a major moult at that time of year. Interesting to note that roosters don't have these major annual molts.
Also worth checking if you can that she isn't pulling feathers out herself and no one else is doing it for her.

She appears to be her usual cheerful self, just feeling the heat around 3-6pm every day. That's when she drinks, sits in the shade, pants, and waits for the day to cool down. That's normal for Mary on a hot day. (Tomorrow will be super hot, so at lunchtime I'll put them in the henhouse with some blue esky ice blocks to sit on and I'll get the misting going.)

But other than being confined to quarters or confining herself to quarters in the heat, she's been enjoying all day every day in the yard. Dust bathing, snoozing, foraging, etc. So she's got plenty to think about and plenty to do - they all have. So if she's plucking her own feathers, it's not from boredom.

I still haven't seen her plucking at her feathers, but I'll keep watching.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[MaryJanet]

Hello