Ended Official BYC Contest - Post Your Best (Worst) Chicken Molt Pictures - 2022

[PippinTheChicken]

Winners announced here!​

This contest is brought to you by our BYC Sponsors
(click to view & support them)

Post Your Best (Worst) Chicken Molt Pictures - 2022
Are Your Chickens Molting?
We Want Your Pics!

It's that time of year again when our birds start their metamorphosis into... well, okay, they don't turn into anything, but it sure is interesting to see them go through their molting process and leaving feathers all over the place!
​

For more information on your flock's annual molt, see here:

• Molting: All You Need To Know
• What Happens When Chickens Molt?
• Chickens Losing Feathers? Managing Your Flock's Molt
• Molting- Your Flock's Seasonal Shedding
• DISCUSSION: For the new folks that haven't experienced a molt yet.

How to enter
The contest is simple, post pictures of your birds in the worst part of their molt. Once we're past the molting season our esteemed panel of judges will pick a loser... er... winner!

The rules are simple too:

1. Chickens only. All other fowl can enter the Other Fowl Molt contest here.
2. Must be your chicken.
3. No picture limit, post as many pictures of your molting chicken.
4. If you have more than one chicken to enter, do them in separate posts.
5. Chickens only. All other fowl can enter the Other Fowl Molt Contest.
6. Must be your pictures that were taken THIS YEAR, so probably within the last few weeks and over the next few months (depending on your climate, birds, etc.).
7. ALL pictures MUST be uploaded to BYC and not hosted on other image sites, personal websites, etc.
8. Molt pictures submitted to our previous molt contests are not eligible for this contest.
9. Prizes are limited to one per person per contest.
10. All BYC rules apply: Terms and rules
11. Accepting entries through December 31st, 2022, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time

Good luck to you and your ugly... er.. molting chickens!

Prizes
If entries warrant we will have two categories, "Frizzle" and "Non-Frizzles" (on account of Frizzles having some pretty bad molting genes and winning this contest for a few years

), and the following prizes will be awarded to both categories.

​

Place	Prize
1st	$50 BYC Store Gift Certificate or a 1-year PFM ($60 value) for yourself or a friend.
2nd	$30 BYC Store Gift Certificate or a 6-month PFM ($35 value) for yourself or a friend.
3rd	$15 BYC Store Gift Certificate or a 3-month PFM ($20 value) for yourself or a friend.
4th	A copy of the beautiful BYC 2023 Calendar or a 1-month PFM for yourself or a friend.

BYC Store Gift Certificates are available to winners that reside in the United States. If the winners are outside of the United States they will be awarded the PFM instead.

2021 Contest Contest Winners​

1st Non-Frizzle Category	2nd Non-Frizzle Category

From left to right: @The Moonshiner & @Naisha
See more pictures here.

3rd Non-Frizzle Category	3rd Non-Frizzle Category

From left to right: @higginskzoo & @locoyosh
See more pictures here.

2020 Contest Winners​

Non-Frizzle Category	Frizzle Category
@Aussie-Chookmum See more pictures here.	@Dorothy Dandurand See more pictures here.

Previous Molt Contests

Year	URL
2021	Official BYC Contest - Post Your Best (Worst) Chicken Molt Pictures - 2021
2020	Official BYC Contest - Post Your Best (Worst) Chicken Molt Pictures - 2020
2019	Official BYC Contest - Post your best (worst) chicken molt pics!
2018	Official BYC Contest - Post your best (worst) chicken molt pics!
2017	Official BYC Contest - Post your best (worst) chicken molt pics!
2016	Official BYC Contest - Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall-Winter 2016
2015	Official BYC Contest - Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall/Winter 2015
2014	Official BYC Contest - Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall/Winter 2014
2013	Official BYC Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures, Fall-Winter 2013
2012	Official BYC Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall/Winter 2012
2011	Official BYC Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall / Winter 2011

 

[gimmie birdies]

Fancy Nancy

Since she is molting I am careful when I pick her up or pat her body.
Look at her little oil gland nub...

She keeps getting more bald...

I had a cute video, but having trouble figuring out how to load it.

I had a video but could not figure out how to down load it.

She likes the shade.
.

In this pic it is hot, you can see the other hens panting, but she is not. This morning it was 56, and I saw her shiver.
Okay- but those weak hearted avert your eyes...NN

When held she feels like a meat bag. She is quite heavy.

Fancy Nancy is very happy. She is not low on the totem pole. She lays a lovely green egg, too! As a baby she was very nak-y in this pic you cannot see, but she had no feathers on her but, and if you see her pics she is all skin, not even pin feathers saying hello. (By the way she is a NN. So not supposed to have as many feathers.)

She has less feathers than I have seen on chicken in the meat dept. lately.
To be clear it is a molt pic of Fancy Nancy and she is one year old.

Fancy Nancy getting her winter coat back.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I was looking for this! One of my poor English Orpington hens is getting hit hard this year!

 

[Paradisewife]

I just wanted to give Peanut Butter a memorial - Affectionately called "Butter Butt" because he looked ready for roasting every summer....
Peanut Butter was a 17 oz bantam frizzle who 3 years ago, gave his life for his lady, 10 Oz Jelly, to a hawk attack. He would have had this contest locked up. He was 3. What a dude.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

This contest is always interesting, and sometimes terrifying. Bring on the molting chickens.

 

[Blessedwithhens]

JUST THE BROWS!!! (Well mostly)
I think she passed out at a frat party… and woke up with NO BROWS!!!!
(Poor girl!!!)

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

This is what Nancy reminded me of (no offense @gimme birdies )

 

[CoopBoots]

I give you Rusty Onefeather.

Seriously, I've been waiting two weeks for this last tail feather to finally fall out!!

I think he's trying to hide his shame.

 

[Miss Cheep]

This is Princess Sugar, she’s looking real bad…

 

[Judy Chicken Mama]

This is my poor Kermita, who in the past has always had a soft molt. I feel so bad for her. Pictures are from yesterday and today. Temps are going to drop into the 30's tonight, not sure if I should bring her in. She only has one other flockmate. I thought about wrapping the coop in a blanket or towels so it is not drafty.