Molting in the winter...is this normal?

[undergroundchickens]

I have one chicken out of my 6 older girls that is half naked. She has been loosing her feathers and growing in new pin feathers pretty fast but she still looks pretty cold out there in the snow. Is it normal for one chicken to molt in the winter and at only 9 months of age or could this be a different problem? I have looked her over and she shows no sign of bugs bothering her or anything...just loosing feathers.

 

[Keara]

2 of my 17 are molting right now. They are both about 1.5 yrs old (and I might add the only 2 I have in this age group). Crazy chickens.... it's cold outside. These two were my most consistant layers too. I wouldn't worry.

 

[gmendoza]

Ive got one out of 1 out of 14 chickens right now molting. She is showing her pin feathers and all!!

She is still laying,and hardy,and 3rd in charge!!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I have two out of four 9 month olds molting. One seems to be finishing up and the other just looks awful.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Quote:
She's molting AND laying? I didn't know that happened. I thought if they were molting they automatically stopped laying for the period of the molt.

 

[gmendoza]

Not entirely true. A good and hardy layer will still lay durring molt.

A good molt is when your chicken is about 18 months old. Jecky( our standard rock hen) is about that age.

On the other side,We have 2 american game hens,one american grey game hen,two bantam oeg hens,and one bbroeg hen who are not laying due to being seasonal layers.

We have a young bared rock pullet,not laying yet,and 6 other hens who are laying which we get 4-5 eggs per day still.

Our chocolate muscovy ducks are not laying either

Our guinea hen will lay in march or so,so she is a slacker too.

 

[undergroundchickens]

Thank you! It is good to hear my bird isn't the only half naked chicken running around in the winter weather.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

We have a silkie hen that is half bald from molting. We brought her inside for a couple of days until the below freezing weather is gone.

 

[michickenwrangler]

SOme of my girls are molting right now too.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Out of 7, 10 month ladies, ONE decided to molt! Go figure (2 slw and 5 ees)