Very long silkie molt

[shmccarthy]

A few months ago I got a silkie rooster from someone whose landlord said they couldn't keep him anymore. I had been looking for a silkie and a few days after I saw him, he was at my doorstep. The owne said he was molting and it was pretty obvious he was, he was kinda scraggy looking. I liked him up and looked for mites and couldn't find any, so I took him. When he was in quarantine, I fed him game bird/showbird food because I figured the higher protein would help with his molt. It worked for the mos part. His body molted but his head is still covered in pin feathers! I introduced him slowly to the flock and he got in a small scuffle with my head rooster so I re separated him again. I let them free range all together a few times and things got sorted out and now he is with the flock. I had my 5, 22 month old Easter egger hens molt and it only took them 2-5 weeks. It's been about 3 months now and the silkie isnt done. His head and neck is covered in pin feathers and have been for a while. I switched my whole flock over to purina flock raiser when I saw other birds were molting and have stuck with that. What gives??
Are there any other things I can do to help him?
He doesn't seem cold because of it but I've been keeping an eye on him.
Do some birds take a lot longer to molt depending on whether they are slow or fast feathering?

 

[Kelsie2290]

A full molt can take 3+ months, so he isn't that far off, also with all the coming and going and moving he may have stopped and started again and done a partial or slow molt. http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/217/moulting-a-natural-process
Have you double checked his head in case there is something else going on there ... there have been some threads with silkies or polish with lice in crests & beards.

 

[shmccarthy]

I haven't taken a good look at the head recently but I will do that tomorrow! Thanks for the link I'll read up on it and see if there's anything that may help.