Molting Early?

[lauranickerson]

I bought a few chickens off Craigslist a couple weeks ago that were supposedly in molt. I picked the best looking ones, but they definitely look a little rougher than my existing flock. I only get one egg every few days from them, and there's 5 of them.

Do chickens go into moly early, like during summer? I thought it was only fall/winter?

 

[Wyandottes7]

Depending on their age, chickens can molt at any time. Chickens molt for their first time when they are around a year old. If your new chickens are a year old this summer, that may be why they are molting now. I have had chickens molt in all seasons.

 

[lauranickerson]

Depending on their age, chickens can molt at any time. Chickens molt for their first time when they are around a year old. If your new chickens are a year old this summer, that may be why they are molting now. I have had chickens molt in all seasons.

Okay, that's good to know. The people said they had a mix of 1.5 yr - 2 yr olds and didn't remember which are older. They seem to be pretty healthy (except for one had vent gleet and all were infested with lice). I see some weird green poos in there now and again, but other than that and some ruffled/missing feathers, everything seems fine.

 

[centrarchid]

Once adult, my chickens molt once per year and it follows a seasonal pattern. For hens, molt should be starting shortly but can be accelerated by stress (heat / nutrition). Molt is usually complete between November and early January.