molting and neighbor's chickens

[jackiedon]

My neighbor's RIR have been molting since last March 07 but I'm beginning to wonder if it's molting or malnutrisment. I was over there and asked if they were still molting because they looked so bad. He told me he was about to get rid of most of them because the eggs were runny. Then he proceeds to tell me he is only feeding them chops (cracked corn) and letting them free range. We live in Arkansas so it's not been cold here. I explained to him about chops was just for snacks and scratch.

I'm hoping he starts feeding them better. I did hatch him out some babies from his eggs.

jackie

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Some birds do get to looking ragged after a while, especially if they are free ranging and are being serviced by a rooster often. One of my Rhode Island Reds and one of Leghorns lost a lot of feathers to our rooster in the spring. I got rid of the rooster in April and they have looked ragged all summer, especially the Red, she always has light underfeathers showing and looks like she is molting. I guess it's going to take a good molt for them to get decent looking feathers again. While just feeding corn and letting them scrounge the rest isn't exactly a balanced diet I doubt they are suffering from malnutrition, but I haven't seen the birds.