My bird is moulting for the first time...

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I am saying normally, just that. If birds in poor nutritional condition when it hot and maybe they have a heavy louse infection, then naked they can become. The nakedness most typically of stressed laying hens, especially those under intensive management.

 

[TroutsChicks]

I wonder who would be more embarrassed the hen or you at seeing them "naked" ?

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Following images of game rooster in process of molting from first adult (bull stag) into second (cock) feather set.

Before molt started.

Black hackle feathers are evidence for partial eclipse molt which unusual for domestic chickens, even games. Notice lower (outer when tail spread) already dropped. Blood feathers already coming in. Full sister has reverse tail feather replacement pattern as does female red jungle fowl. I do not know if that is consistent difference between sexes.

Wing feather replacment pattern where feathers replaced singly. Rooster began replacement with primaries and secondaries closest to body. Remaining old feathers are closest to tip of wings. This system allows continous capacity for flight. System where feathers replaced in sets of three is much faster but greatly hinders flight. The more rapid replacemnt system typical of leghorns.

 

[Jeffross1968]

Interesting. Thank you. So coming of age comes into play as much as time of year I'm guessing? If one is of molting age, and it's the right time of year, they molt. What happens if they are say...only 5 or 6 months, with only a couple weeks of laying under their belt? Will they still molt, or will they wait for the next season?

 

[Over Easy PA]

I'm curious about this, too. Mine are about 9 weeks old. Seems like they just got fully feathered! And now in the past couple of days it seems like there are a lot of little fluffy feathers and a few big ones (like wing feathers) appearing on the floor of the coop. So are they molting when they are still so young? Will this affect when they will start laying?

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
When my young of year (born after January 1) birds come into adult first feather set within a couple months before typical molting season for adults, then adult molt delayed until following year. Based on that your point of lay pullets will not molt again until next year (late summer - fall).

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Your birds at nine weeks are going to be transistioning from chick feathers to juvenile feathers. They will molt one more time into adult feather set before egg production begins. My birds do not start until first adult feather set completely in.

 

[KimberlyRae]

I went out, tonight, as usual and one girl was limping-I looked and her nail was scabbed and almost falling off!

My husband said she might have gotten it caught in the fence to the garden, yesterday. OK- that might explain that But what explains ONE out of FIVE girls is loosing feathers like crazy...is she getting beat up on?

So, I placed her in the garden shed all comfy cozy and she flew the coop and laid next to the chicken tractor where her sisters are...wanting in so we let her in, the other girls weren't buggin' her at all and she went and sat on the perch inside the coop. the other girls were outside on that perch........should we be worried as we are..........? [girls are 1yo and are buffs]


Signed,
Worried Forde's on Forde's Funny Farm!

 

[KimberlyRae]

this one is the one skinny and has brown funny looking color around her ear

what one of the other girls looks like...BIG and FLUFFY!


and the one that all skinny and loosing feathers....

another pic

 

[Cynthia12]

Ok, this is coming a bit later than the last post! Glad I found this site though, because I feel better about my leghorn. She has been moulting a good two months. I've never had a chicken moult that long. She gets scrambled eggs, and BOSS and of course her normal laying mash. She is still pretty bare, on the behind. Poor naked butt..and it's getting cold out there. She can't fly to the roost now, so she roosts on the edge of a bottom nest box. That's ok with me. She is eating well, very funny girl, comes and clicks her toes at my back door for treats..works more often than not for her and she knows it. Pretty cute bird..and yes, she's a pure white leghorn. Love her. I hope she gets through this moult soon. She was still laying everyday when it started, then would skip a day, now sometimes two days, but I'm still getting eggs from her. I am just glad to read that they can take up to 4 months. I was beginning to think something else was wrong..but couldn't see her acting like there was.