Ended Official BYC Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures, Fall-Winter 2013

[BCMaraniac]

It's that time of year again where 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!

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!

We will have two categories: "Frizzle" and "All Other Breeds" (on account of Frizzles having some pretty bad molting genes and they really need their own category!

).

There will be one winner per category and each will receive a free 6 month GFM for themselves or a friend.


The rules are simple too:

1. Must be your chicken
2. Must be a picture taken THIS YEAR, so probably within the last few weeks and over the next couple months (depending on your climate, birds, etc.)
3. Must say which category you're entering in

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

Here's one of the winners from last year's contest, submitted by Barbedwirecat:



Contest ends 12/31/13!

I think the winners need to post the "after" pictures next spring as well.

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

Holy Cow!!!

My flock is all first year, so I'm hoping I'm safe!! I'm in central PA and it gets plenty cold here, I'd hate to see them heading into winter naked!

Why would they molt at the end of summer and not mid spring??
That seems the reverse of logical to me....

i don't know, have wondered myself - for one ...naked chickens may not be able to care for their young as well ...and ...since they won't have to lay eggs, raise chicks and find bugs for THEM ...they can concentrate all on themselves ...and ...some of the feathers look quite worn at the end of the summer - maybe a full set of new feathers will be a good thing before winter....

 

[Thassa]

My little Tutu loves her fleece jacket. (when she is outside)

 

[humphrey farms]

This is Polly. She is a Bluelaced Red Wyandotte going through her first molt. (9/28/2013)

 

[Araucana16]

I am cracking up at the frizzles. Poor gals!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

My faverolle Cosette is molting. Feathers everywhere! lol

 

[SilkiesForEver]

My birds NEVER look this bad!

They loose their tails and all their feathers slowly! You could hardly tell they are molting...... except for all the feathers everywhere.

 

[hosspak]

My little Tutu loves her fleece jacket. (when she is outside)

Show us some pictures, please. lol

 

[hosspak]

My faverolle Cosette is molting. Feathers everywhere! lol

Show us some pictures, please. lol

 

[Jharper]

My LBOEGB hen is just starting to molt. Her feathers were sun bleached. I came home and I found all these feathers everywhere and I thought "DID SOMETHING GET IN THE PEN?!?!?" It turns out she was starting to molt. LOL!