Molting in dead of winter help!!

[Alaskan]

I am working on making sure their coop isn't letting out moisture,

Did you mistype?

You should be trying to remove all moisture, get the moisture out of the coop.

 

[hannah and the chickens]

I have 4 of 6 moltings right now in the coldest temperatures we have seen in Michigan this winter! Of course, it's their first molt and they are getting frostbitten combs
I am working on making sure their coop isn't letting out moisture, completely unsure if I should shut the coop door. Small coop life ugh. They seem to be fine aside from the combs all of them are RIR hybreds. Got em from a feed store if that says anything for ya lol

I was taught to keep moisture out of the chicken coop as much as possible because chickens are able to tolerate cold and dry air conditions better than high moisture. So as long as the chickens aren’t exposed to direct airflow, try leaving a door or window open.
Putting vaseline on the combs is supposed to prevent frostbite (it has to be water-free Vaseline though)

 

[azygous]

Some chemicals can trigger molt. Have you treated the flock with copper sulfate recently?

 

[aart]

’d think 11 months is too old for juvenile molts.

It is, but perfect for that first winter partial molt....many pullets have one of those.

 

[hannah and the chickens]

Some chemicals can trigger molt. Have you treated the flock with copper sulfate recently?

The chicken was ill around the end of November so the vet gave me antibiotics for the chicken, but she got better soon after that. And it was an antibiotic that was approved for the use on chickens. Apart from that, no chemicals that I know of.

It is, but perfect for that first winter partial molt....many pullets have one of those.

That would explain a lot. So a partial molt would mean my chicken only will run around half-naked for the next few weeks and not throw off all her feathers?

 

[Ada06]

Did you mistype?

You should be trying to remove all moisture, get the moisture out of the coop.

Yeah sorry, meant to say their coop isn't keeping moisture. I have this coop with a homemade run. Both feed and water are in the run. I also use a heated pet water bowl, cleaning it out often due to chickens pooping in it.

 

[aart]

And it was an antibiotic that was approved for the use on chickens.

Which one was it?

So a partial molt would mean my chicken only will run around half-naked for the next few weeks and not throw off all her feathers?

Hard to say...only time will tell for sure.
Have had bare backed bird go thru winter just fine.

 

[hannah and the chickens]

Which one was it?

It was called Erythromycin, it came as a powder that I had to add to water.

I also took a quick picture of the hen so you can see what I'm talking about. I'm sorry about the blurryness, Mildred apparently doesn't like to have her picture taken. As you can see, she's missing the feathers around her neck and the upper part of her back right now. The feathers around her head already came in.

I added more shavings to the coop today and I'm playing with the idea to put up a heating lamp above the place on the roost the chicken is using in the picture. I don't want her to be hot, but I'm thinking maybe she'd feel better if there was a place with temperatures slightly above freezing temperatures.

 

[Alaskan]

It was called Erythromycin, it came as a powder that I had to add to water.

View attachment 2524568
I also took a quick picture of the hen so you can see what I'm talking about. I'm sorry about the blurryness, Mildred apparently doesn't like to have her picture taken. As you can see, she's missing the feathers around her neck and the upper part of her back right now. The feathers around her head already came in.

I added more shavings to the coop today and I'm playing with the idea to put up a heating lamp above the place on the roost the chicken is using in the picture. I don't want her to be hot, but I'm thinking maybe she'd feel better if there was a place with temperatures slightly above freezing temperatures.

Since her chest feathers still look good... I think she is probably fine...

 

[hannah and the chickens]

I thought I‘d give you all a small update: We’ve had temperatures around 0 degrees Fahrenheit the last two nights and around 25 degrees during the day. I was worried at first, but I put up the heating lamp, made makeshift curtains out of old blankets that I put in front of the windows and gave the chicken some sunflower seeds and similar things. She seems to be perfectly fine (I suppose she’s getting annoyed about me always running around her )

The days have been more sunny than last week and that seems to have done the trick. My chickens all seemed to be a bit depressed but now that the sun has come out again their mood has gotten better, too.