Too young to moult?

[stormylady]

Quote:
My chickens go through a molt at right around 20 week and some also go through a partial moult right around this time of the year after that there main (full moults) are always around this time of year and are usually all done regaining all their feathers by the time it get really cold everyday.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
My chickens go through a molt at right around 20 week and some also go through a partial moult right around this time of the year after that there main (full moults) are always around this time of year and are usually all done regaining all their feathers by the time it get really cold everyday.

Even the pre-adult molts are full. All feathers are turned over but it harder to distinguish actual turnover because feather form and coloration goes through a continuum. In other words, they get the "marmelade cat" look.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
My chickens go through a molt at right around 20 week and some also go through a partial moult right around this time of the year after that there main (full moults) are always around this time of year and are usually all done regaining all their feathers by the time it get really cold everyday.

Even the pre-adult molts are full. All feathers are turned over but it harder to distinguish actual turnover because feather form and coloration goes through a continuum. In other words, they get the "marmelade cat" look.

Thats what I meant to say, the first full moult is right around 20 weeks, some of my young chickens go through a mini moult (maybe Its just me not seeing it as being a full moult because they don't get bare, and I don't see feathers everywhere) like I do with the older chickens this time of the year, Some of them don't go though another moult til the following fall. Hope I worded that right.

 

[bigstack]

Just a thought...

Several of my hens had the same issues.
I found out I had too many roo's! (1 roo to 4 hens)
They were being very rough on my girls. I watched and picked the least aggressive roo's and dispatched the rest. Now they look great, are laying better, and are 1 roo per 7 hens.

Just a thought!

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Makes perfect sense to me.

Too many Roos can be very hard on the girls.

 

[krickets]

Well, I don't have any roos, so that can't be my solution. That might help someone else though, so thanks!

 

[cmom]

Chicks will go through several molts for their first few months as they are loosing their down and getting there adult feathers. Some molts will be heavier than others. Some you may not notice the feather loss on the birds but you will notice the feathers all around in their area.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
You know, I never even think about when they go from their little fuzzy selves, to actual feathers. My mind automatically goes to the big molt at 20 weeks for some reason, I guess because I find all kinds of big feathers lying all around then. LOL

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
My young birds tend eat all but some flight feathers fairly quickly once they fall off.

 

[krickets]

Well, I managed to get out with the chickens before dark today, and the 2 that have lost so many feathers do have pin-feathers coming in. Here are some photos:

1. Here you can see the scraggly barred rock in comparison with the normal looking barred rock.

2. Here is the scraggly looking barred rock on her own

3. Here's a close up of her neck. These are pin-feathers, right?

What do you all think? Moulting?