molting questions

[Rushdoggie]

My Brahma who is under a year did a molt. It was odd, I have two 2 year old birds (and EE and a Australorpe), and 2 young birds (Brahma and Marans).

In Oct the Austrolorpe started her expected molt. The other 3 were still laying.

A few weeks later my Marans went super broody and attacked the other 2 a few times so they stopped going in the nest, they stopped laying. This seemed to trigger my EE to stop laying and molt.

I finally got the super broody Marans to stop brooding, but then it was November and short days so no eggs from anyone.

Then in December my Brahma seemed to do a partial molt. Now in January the Marans is doing a molt.

The Austrolorpe and Marans seem to be mostly done, the EE still has a few short feathers growing in on her head.

I didn't think young birds molted? They are still leaving feathers everywhere. My coop looks like a brothel exploded.

Should I be worried?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not sure how old your young birds are. Age in months might be good information. Chickens go through juvenile molts. They grow so fast that they outgrow their feathers and need to replace them. Since they were laying and the Marans went broody this is not it, but I'll mention it to get it out of the way.

Many pullets skip the molt their first fall/winter and continue laying through the winter. Many does not mean all. Some will molt. Also, stress can trigger a molt in any bird at any time. Stress might be a predator attack, running out of water for an extended period of time, changes to accommodations or the pecking order, a change in lights, and who knows what else. Sometimes it is a full molt, sometimes a partial.

I'd check them for mites or lice, that's always a good thing to do, but unless you find some I would not worry. There are too many normal explanations for that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My coop looks like a brothel exploded.

I'm sorry but lol.

Yes pullets can molt. And molting can take place over a wide range of time, as you've experienced. I thought I was done with molts here but the last couple of days, looks like a brothel exploded in my coop too.

 

[Rushdoggie]

...but unless you find some I would not worry. There are too many normal explanations for that.

That was very helpful, thank you!

 

[Fintechie]

I just noticed today that my 8-month old barred rock started to molt, to my shock. You can spot her from my avatar - in the far right next to my buff orpington. She is the first one in the flock to lay (exactly 16 weeks), all the way till she stopped 2-3 weeks ago. I thought she is taking a well-deserved break, but molting, really?

To give OP some comfort, my buff orpington (aforementioned from the same cohort) seems to start her second broody act... still laying as it is her 2nd day of acting out.