My chickens are cranky

[new chick 203]

My Rosey is a cranky pants right now. She's going through a molt so not laying so I was wondering if there might be a hormonal component. like going through menopause. Has anyone ever noticed this in their chickens?

 

[teach1rusl]

Molting ALWAYS makes my chickens very cranky. Molting is very hard on them physically...and is very uncomfortable. I don't pick my girls up when they're molting, because I can tell it hurts them (the shafts poking through their skin). My friendliest, sweetest chickens will become antisocial and very unlike themselves for a while. Your girl will be as sweet as she was before AFTER she gets finished molting.

It'd be like you having a bad case of hives or chicken pox for a few weeks - you don't really feel like doing anything - you just want to be left alone.