Molt Question

[micstrachan]

Thanks. Is it typical for a broody mama hen to molt early?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks. Is it typical for a broody mama hen to molt early?

I'm not sure what you mean by "early"?

 

[micstrachan]

June.

 

[Mimi13]

Three of my six broodies in the past month (can you hear me grinding my teeth?) molted after I finally broke them. One of the six, a BCM, is about to do me in. This is her third broody phase since hatching and brooding three chicks back in January. I am having the most difficult time breaking her. She’s gonna have to find another home I’m afraid. Dang bird. I want all those beautiful dark eggs she’s not laying!

Maybe @micstrachan is meaning early as in comparison to molting usually in the fall. This is the first time I’ve had any molt before the late fall. But mine are not completely full molts. They all seem to have lost feathers in different areas. It’s strange.

Edited to change the emoji from a smile to frustrated. I don’t know what happened. It was correct when I posted it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks. Is it typical for a broody mama hen to molt early?

June.

o.k. I see, she's been broody so time of year doesn't matter.
A broody doesn't eat/drink as much as normal - think of it as being under stress/hormones - they will often molt once they stop being broody. The same for chickens under other stress (illness, lack of food/water, weather changes, stress within the flock, etc.)

 

[micstrachan]

Thank you! That helps! Geez... seems like a lot for a hen to go through. Molting while caring for chicks. Thankfully, they still seem healthy and the hens are leaving them alone for the most part.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Three of my six broodies in the past month barnie can you hear me grinding my teeth?) molted after I finally broke them. One of the six, a BCM, is about to do me in. This is her third broody phase since hatching and brooding three chicks back in January. I am having the most difficult time breaking her. She’s gonna have to find another home I’m afraid. Dang bird. I want all those beautiful dark eggs she’s not laying!

Maybe @micstrachan is meaning early as in comparison to molting usually in the fall. This is the first time I’ve had any molt before the late fall. But mine are not completely full molts. They all seem to have lost feathers in different areas. It’s strange.

Some of mine are doing the exact same thing! My broodies are molting too!

 

[josettelynne10]

I recently had a broody hen that kept the other ladies from the favored nesting box. The three who use that same box began molting, likely from stress of not having their room to lay in. We broke the broody hen after a couple days but she molted just after that, too! They all just began laying again last week, so I’m not sure if they can “sync up” or if it was the stress that caused it.

 

[Cwestlake]

Hi all, my 8 1/2 month old Speckled Sussex is molting not laying eggs now for 2 weeks my other 3 hens are not molting yet... I’m in California also Central Valley.. Is this normal for the Speckled Sussex to be molting? Thank you all...

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hi all, my 8 1/2 month old Speckled Sussex is molting not laying eggs now for 2 weeks my other 3 hens are not molting yet... I’m in California also Central Valley.. Is this normal for the Speckled Sussex to be molting? Thank you all...

Yes, normal. I am in California too.