moulting???

[cat]

Can anyone tell me how often chickens moult? My light sussex is loosing a lot of feathers, but I thought chickens moulted in fall/winter. Do they loose extra feathers like dogs loose extra coat when its warm?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Tis the season for molting...anywhere from now til late Fall...Adult chickens molt once a year...some just lose a few feathers, some get bald spots and some look like they have sneezed and blown all their feathers off!...

lots of extra protein is needed to regrow feathers and they usually stop laying during the time or slow way down in egg production ....

 

[blue fire]

Is you chicken a broody hen and how old is it?

 

[cat]

she is about 18 months old, and she has not been broody so far. for some reason i thought they changed feathers in fall, like a dog getting a winter coat.. suppose thats a bit silly really. i have only had chickens a year so i am still getting used to all the things they do!