Two ladies losing feathers - symptom or normal behavior?

[morganstig]

Two of my thirteen ladies are losing lots of feathers! They seem to be acting normal otherwise. It isn’t their usual time to molt and they aren’t losing feathers in a molting pattern, but mostly downy fluff. It has been VERY hot in our area - upper nineties every day! Is this a normal behavior or a symptom of something going on?

 

[Weeg]

Could you post a pic of the chickens that are loosing feathers?

 

[morganstig]

They are the Golden Comet in picture 3 and Easter Egger in picture 4. Like I mentioned, it is mostly the downy, white feathers from under their top layer that they are losing. I say “losing” as I haven’t caught them in the act of picking them out. I can try to get better photos of their undersides tomorrow.

 

[Weeg]

Thanks, have you checked for parasites, or anything that looks like this. https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/ That is what I'm thinking. If not, it seems a little odd in that area, but do you have a rooster that might be picking on them?

 

[333113]

Looking at the edges of the "hard" feathers, I have to say they look a bit worn. They may be due for a molt. Molting is somewhat individual, and every chicken has its own pattern of feather loss/regrow. Around here (Missouri) this is the time of year for molting.

I have several Ameraucana hens in molt now, and they look awful. But it's a normal process...those feathers get a lot of wear, and they don't last forever!

As they grow those new feathers, remember to provide extra protein. ChickenChick has an excellent article on molting:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/molting-what-is-it-and-how-to-help/
I would post photos of my girls in molt, but it's really hard to to ChickenChick's molting frizzles pictures!

Jen Pitino's article about molting is very good, too:
https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/feed-health/why-and-when-do-chickens-molt/

 

[morganstig]

No rooster! I did recently introduce my new batch of 16 week old chicks (that are completely healthy as they’d been quarantined since they were a few days old) so there is some pecking while the reestablishment m of the pecking order is happening, but these two ladies are near the top so they aren’t being picked on.
They were all clean and free of parasites last time I checked, and I check pretty often, but I’ll check again! Thanks for including the article with such great photos!

 

[morganstig]

Looking at the edges of the "hard" feathers, I have to say they look a bit worn. They may be due for a molt. Molting is somewhat individual, and every chicken has its own pattern of feather loss/regrow. Around here (Missouri) this is the time of year for molting.

I have several Ameraucana hens in molt now, and they look awful. But it's a normal process...those feathers get a lot of wear, and they don't last forever!

As they grow those new feathers, remember to provide extra protein. ChickenChick has an excellent article on molting:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/molting-what-is-it-and-how-to-help/
I would post photos of my girls in molt, but it's really hard to to ChickenChick's molting frizzles pictures!

Jen Pitino's article about molting is very good, too:
https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/feed-health/why-and-when-do-chickens-molt/

Looking at the edges of the "hard" feathers, I have to say they look a bit worn. They may be due for a molt. Molting is somewhat individual, and every chicken has its own pattern of feather loss/regrow. Around here (Missouri) this is the time of year for molting.

I’m wondering if the abnormally high heat is driving them to molt earlier! They are almost five years old and normally wait until closer to the fall.

 

[aart]

I’m wondering if the abnormally high heat is driving them to molt earlier! They are almost five years old and normally wait until closer to the fall.

Could be, I have a few starting to molt now.
My cocks have always started molting first, usually the first week in August.
So yeah, a bit early, it's been hot here too.

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[SueT]

I have several chickens molting now too. Maybe all of them, there are feathers all over the place.

 

[morganstig]

Where in this world are you located?

I’m in Upstate SC - the first bite of the pie!