Ended Official BYC Contest - Worst Chicken Molt Pictures - Fall/Winter 2014

[Sylver Queen]

Oh! Your lady did what mine did! Practically balded herself before regrowing any. So glad you were able to provide her some heat. My hen is actually still sleeping in the human house, though her feathers are beginning to open up nicely now. (Once she stops coming through the front door in the evenings, I'll know she's ready for the hen house again. ) I wish yours a speedy filling in! Thanks for sharing.

P.S. I think if you add the words "All other breeds" to your post, the pic will be officially submitted to the contest.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Oh! Your lady did what mine did! Practically balded herself before regrowing any. So glad you were able to provide her some heat.

My hen is actually still sleeping in the human house, though her feathers are beginning to open up nicely now. (Once she stops coming through the front door in the evenings, I'll know she's ready for the hen house again.

) I wish yours a speedy filling in! Thanks for sharing.

P.S. I think if you add the words "All other breeds" to your post, the pic will be officially submitted to the contest.

Thanks for your reply. How long did it take your hen to feather out? Coco started to molt last Wednesday and was bald by Saturday. I'm hoping that by next weekend that she'll at least have some coverage.

I'm in CA so the temperature is quite mild here. I did close up all the vents on my coop and it's rather toasty in there with the three BIG Buff Orpingtons keeping her warm. But I'm still REALLY worried about her.

 

[Sylver Queen]

And that was two days after she came out of her house suddenly looking like this:

Her "spikes" started to open up two days ago, and she is already covered enough to be willing to walk around a bit in the rain. I live in California, too (north of you), and my gal has been able to keep warm by resting in dry hiding places during the day, and sleeping indoors at night. There are probably many on this site who know more about this than I, but I would say that if you're having mild weather and have a heat lamp for her, she's probably going to be fine. If I didn't have five fully feathered chickens in the hen house and hadn't accidentally broken the element in my heat lamp, I might have done the same as you. As it is, mine sleeps in my room. And I suspect she's enjoying it. Also, when my hen is eating and moving around some during the day, that shows me that her nights are going okay.

If your hen feathers in like mine is, she'll probably have a layer of protection within a week. I'd be glad to see an update photo of your lady when she is again garbed! I wish her a quick and fine feather regrowth.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

And that was two days after she came out of her house suddenly looking like this:



Her "spikes" started to open up two days ago, and she is already covered enough to be willing to walk around a bit in the rain. I live in California, too (north of you), and my gal has been able to keep warm by resting in dry hiding places during the day, and sleeping indoors at night. There are probably many on this site who know more about this than I, but I would say that if you're having mild weather and have a heat lamp for her, she's probably going to be fine. If I didn't have five fully feathered chickens in the hen house and hadn't accidentally broken the element in my heat lamp, I might have done the same as you. As it is, mine sleeps in my room. And I suspect she's enjoying it. Also, when my hen is eating and moving around some during the day, that shows me that her nights are going okay.

If your hen feathers in like mine is, she'll probably have a layer of protection within a week. I'd be glad to see an update photo of your lady when she is again garbed! I wish her a quick and fine feather regrowth.

Thanks. I just checked on her. She stays in the coop late. Probably because it's cold outside. I got her to come out and eat some warm mash under her heat lamp. Her pin feathers are coming in fast and furious. I really think by mid to later this week, she'll have some coverage. But she's also starting to sound a little raspy. I don't want to lose her over this.

Why doesn't she molt in the summer when it's warm?!?

 

[SillyMissLily]

This is my Easter Egger, simply called Grey, during her first molt. She still tries to act like a queen, but she sure doesn't look like one! (All Other Breeds, of course)

And just for reference, this is the same girl a few months back.

 

[cyborg]

I know people say not to do it. But I did put a heat lamp out in the run for her after I found her shivering last night. This is only 8 days into her molt. The good news is that some of those feathers are starting to open up already. But my heart is aching for her. She's the sweetest JG you could imagine. (all other breeds)

That poor lady! I have a flock of Jersey Giant hens, and have never seen one that naked!

 

[swimmerchick]

Putting my entries in "all other breeds" Category, may have one more, cause i have a hen that just started molting.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I know people say not to do it. But I did put a heat lamp out in the run for her after I found her shivering last night. This is only 8 days into her molt. The good news is that some of those feathers are starting to open up already. But my heart is aching for her. She's the sweetest JG you could imagine. "All Other Breeds"

Poor pittiful girl. She deserves to win with all of that skin!!!

 

[darkbrahmamama]

All Other Breeds

This is one of my dark brahma hens, Sweetie. Pictures were taken last night. The poor thing had a broken leg a few months ago. She spent about a month in a sling in a dog crate with a splint on her leg, & about another month learning how to walk again. She's now able to walk & free range with the other chickens perfectly fine. But she's a little slower than the others, & runs with a gimp. So not only does she look funny when she runs anyway, but now she has a bald butt & looks horrible! The purple is blu-kote. I put some on her sides when she was COMPLETELY bald there.

Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. On the roosting bar stand is the only place she was still enough to take any pictures. I don't like touching them while they're molting, so I didn't want to hold her.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Today marks two weeks since I found the coop floor covered in feathers. Her pin feathers are starting to open and you can't see much bare skin. Although, she still isn't really covered because those feathers are not fully open and the downy fluff at the bottom of the feather shaft isn't there yet.

But she's coming around.

Each morning I go out with two small bowls of warm mash and usually she's very hesitant about eating. She doesn't want to be bumped by the other three hens. But this morning she was trying to own both bowls of mash. Which is exactly how I expect her to act. So she's coming out the other side finally.

It's supposed to be cold this weekend. So I'm praying those feathers really start to open up. I do have a heat lamp out in a corner of the run and I think I'll leave it up through the weekend or at least until those feathers fully open up and give her coverage.