Severe Moulting

[BusyGirl57]

My RIR is going to be 2 years old this February. She has molted before but not this severe. I live in Florida and we have warm and cold days/nights. This past week (Christmas to New Years) we were in the 60 to 70's and one night in the 30's. We are getting ready to start a bit of a cool down and I am worried. My Little Firecracker is almost naked. I think if she loses any more feathers, she will be ready for the pot...Is this Okay?

She seems to be acting fine so I really don't know what to think of it. I'm not sure how to upload some pictures for you to see but she does look weird. Any Advise???

 

[shortgrass]

Well, you don't have to worry about them being cold. Half my flock is molting and we had a snowstorm yesterday, and today's high was 14. They look pitifully cold, but they manage. I'm sure they would think 30 was summer


Extra protein, maybe some BOSS for shiny feathers, other than that, she should be back to herself in a couple weeks.

 

[BusyGirl57]

Thanks what a relief

 

[yellowherb]

My girls quit laying with all the temps bouncing around here in Fl. Their molt finished about a month ago, thankfully.

Try purina gamebird growth and plumage (starter) for a nice high protein boost for the molt.

 

[Mrs. K]

They look like he**, when they molt. I have kept chickens for years, and think, "Goodness, is it just a molt or is she dying?" And then in a week or so, they start looking better. When new people come on here horrified at some poor featherless chicken, I often think, "I bet she is molting."

One thing I have found, a fast hard molt, where they are nearly naked, they tend to grow back feathers FAST. Once it looked like a feather pillow had broken in the coop, I had a leghorn that I think has 2 feathers on her in the morning. A week later looked slick and beautiful with new feathers that just shined.

As long as they are active and eating, there is nothing wrong.

Mrs k

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

Take a look thru this thread for some examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/580915/for-the-new-folks-that-havent-experienced-a-molt-yet

I had a couple girls go thru a hard molt this year, I'd seen pics so wasn't shocked but it was still astounding to see it in person.
Extra protein can really help...the 16% or so in layer feed isn't really enough.

 

[BusyGirl57]

Thanks, I'll try that.

 

[BusyGirl57]

Thanks

 

[shortgrass]

That's a great thread @aart! I feel so bad for the guy that put his poor hen in the stew pot just because she was molting!

But if I were a new owner and saw this, I would be weirded out too! My daughter, when she saw her first molt, came rushing into the house hollering about a HAWK in the chicken pen and feathers everywhere etc etc lol... She thought that poor hen had exploded or something

Currently have a few looking shaggy, but Peaches is dropping them right in the middle of a cold snap; probably be naked by tomorrow and the high today is supposed to be 16... Handling it like a trooper

 

[BusyGirl57]

I didn't put her in the stew pot. That was just a statement of how bad she looked.