New to the Chicken World

[kalaradagal]

Hello, Kalaradagal here
I’m new-ish to chicken raising. I have 1 Bielefelder Roo, 2 Hens & 21 Buff Orpington hens. All are 7 months old. All are healthy & producing eggs a plenty.
I’m concerned for my 3 Bielefelders. The appear to be molting. I don’t think it’s the right time of year & not old enough. Temperatures are dropping to low teen’s & single digits in S.W. Colorado.

 

[Nomadicus]

Hello and Welcome to BYC. Glad to have you in this poultry loving community. Is it molting or just some feathers missing to possible over breeding?

 

[Tookie]

Hello, welcome to BYC! We're so glad to have you here.

Your Bielefelders actually are probably molting. They do tend to molt in the fall/winter, and they can molt at their age.

 

[The cheek coop]

Welcome to the flock! Glad you joined us.

 

[kalaradagal]

Hello and Welcome to BYC. Glad to have you in this poultry loving community. Is it molting or just some feathers missing to possible over breeding?

Thank you for the welcome. Really does look like molting. Rooster looks pretty rough. Hens are not quite as bad. I have also caught a couple of the Buff hens ‘pick’ @ Heir Beilefelder

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! We're so glad you decided to join us!

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. Thank's for sharing the picture's your Chickens are Beautiful! And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC. They can molt at that age and it's not unusual to molt in the winter. However you said the buffs are picking.
How much space do they have? Are you feeding them an 18 to 22% protein feed?
Did they grow up together or were the buffs or Bielefelders introduced recently?

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Your birds look extremely cramped in their coop. You need 3.5 to 4 sq ft of floor space and as close to 1 sq ft of ventilation as you can get per bird in the coop to remove excess moisture and minimize frostbite.

 

[Nomadicus]

Thank you for the welcome. Really does look like molting. Rooster looks pretty rough. Hens are not quite as bad. I have also caught a couple of the Buff hens ‘pick’ @ Heir Beilefelder

The picture does indeed look like molting. I wouldn't worry about them molting from what I see. The picture showing the group bunched up tight is that just the way they are roosting in a corner? Or is there more coop space that is not seen?