Only one of my chickens is molting

[Gigijenn]

I have six hens and all seem to be laying just fine right now, but one of them is molting. Poor thing looks like holy hell. I'm told by another chicken owner that it's because the days are getting shorter and molting is due to a lack of daylight. (I live in Maine and we have about 12 hours of daylight right now). If it were a daylight issue, wouldn't all of them be molting and/or not laying as much? They all seem to still be laying just fine and doing well otherwise. It's just the one Plymouth Rock that is having the molting issue. Any suggestions?

 

[that_crazy_lady]

if the wether gets bad keep her in untill she gets some good cover. some birds will shed more often then others. yea if it was do to lighting or the lack of all of them would do. at one point I had over well 30 chickens and never had more then 3 molt at the same time. and while some will go almost nude, most don't. they just look a little sorry for a while.

 

[Gigijenn]

Thanks for the reply...she was the only chicken to molt last year too, so perhaps she's just prone to it more. I just hope she grows some feathers back before it gets really cold. My other chicken didn't molt...I guess that's normal too?

 

[gritsar]

Mine are molting on their own individual schedules. I have one hen that's finished with hers just as another two are starting.
They're individuals, just like with their first eggs. They didn't all start laying at the exact same time either.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, normal.

If your other chickens didn't molt last year, either they *did* but it was gradual enough you didn't notice, or they just haven't molted *yet* but will do so later this year.

It used to be, back before commercial layers were killed when they went into molt and a new crop brought in, that chickens that molted all at once were preferred over those that do it mroe gradually, as they're not out of production for as long with an all-at-once molt. They do look very sad and draggly though

Good luck, have fun,

Pat