Molting?... this time of the year?

[gatorgal]

I'm so glad you posted this.
Me too, or should i say, my girls too! we've had our first cols snap and darnnit if two of my girls aren't molting!
I told them this was a bad time- but mommy put out the heat lamps.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have 2 of my 6 currently molting. (9 months old) My buttercup has been molting since early November. My BR just started a couple weeks ago.

 

[deenamr]

Me too. It's been as cold as 12 below here and several of my 1 1/2 year old hens are molting. My dad keeps telling me that they can't be molting this time of year but I am sure that is what is going on.

 

[feathersnuggles]

I've got one slow molter, I think. Here a feather, there a feather. She's the only one in the flock molting, and been molting since early November when she stopped laying. Thing is, she's just shy of 8 months old. She started laying early, at 19 weeks, so been wondering if that early maturity causes the early molt. Anyway, she also doesn't have much appetite since the molt started. I've been hand-feeding her extra protein at night, because she was roosting at night with an empty crop. Keep hoping her molt is over soon.

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

So molting it possible right now... how about just one of my 8 girls? I thought she was getting picked on because of major amounts of feathers missing from her head, but I haven't caught any of them picking on her. Now that I've read this thread.... I do remember quite a few feathers around the coop that are definitely hers... but
I'll check for mites etc. tomorrow just in case

 

[Dar]

Yes indeed... my girls started in about november and our egg production stopped... then the last few days we have been getting 10 eggs a day... thats 10 more then last week... looks like everyone is synchronized and molted at the same time

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

2 of my 13(12 hens and the roo) older ones started molting a couple of weeks ago. Now 8 of them are doing it. I'm still getting 11 and 12 eggs a day though. I started them on Flock Raiser a couple of days ago for a little bump in protein. Weird the way nature is. You would think that they would be programmed to be half naked in the summertime than in the middle of winter.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

My BA hen recently went through her first molt (she looks so pretty with her new feathers!) and now my Cornish Rock is in the middle of a molt, and she looks really bad.

 

[briteday]

5 of my 6 RIR's (21 months old) look like heck, really pathetic! I still get 2 eggs per day from them but feel bad in this cold weather that they are so bare. They don't seem to be any worse for the wear. And I have to remind myself that they are livestock, not pets.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Okay, I see some of you posting your chickens are starting a molt in January, but also noticed that you are from places like NC and NV. Mine appear to be starting a molt in WISCONSIN in JANUARY!!! Is that normal???

Anybody with experience, please advise. Just seems like a really odd time to start a molt. One of our poor hens has lost all the feathers on the back of her neck.

Thanks in advance.

Katherine