What does a moult look like?

[tiadragon]

I just noticed a bare patch on the rump of one of our orpies. Do they molt from the bottom up (literally)? Or is this feather picking?

 

[debilorrah]

When they molt you will walk into the house one day and they will be bald with feathers all over the floor. Quite a sight!

 

[gritsar]

A few of mine are moulting. Feathers everywhere. On the hens themselves the moulting started at the head, right behind the comb, back towards the tail.

 

[sillybirds]

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Sounds like feather picking to me.

 

[gritsar]

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Sounds like feather picking to me.

Yep, and there's a cure for that. Pine tar! Broke mine of the habit with one peck.

 

[sillybirds]

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I'd like to hear about how you do that, gritsar. Can you explain? (I have a feather picker in my flock too.)

 

[gritsar]

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I'd like to hear about how you do that, gritsar. Can you explain? (I have a feather picker in my flock too.)

First you have to find pine tar. You can generally find it in the equine section at farmer's co-ops, tractor supply stores, etc. They sell it in the equine section because it's also used on horses hooves. The can will look like a quart paint can.
Don't worry about what it says on the label about not ingesting it. The chickens don't eat it. They hate it.
It's the stickiest stuff in the world. Apply a small amount to the area of the hen that's getting picked on. The others will peck at it and decide very quickly that they never ever want to taste that again.
You can do a search here on BYC about it. Just type in pine tar. It's really safe and effective. In fact, IMO it's way more effective than the Blu-Kote product that they sell for picking.
ETA: Sorry, I meant pint paint can size, not quart.

 

[Cetawin]

I believe it was Speckledhen that said there is an unwritten law that says we cannot photograph our girls when they are molting.

hehehehehe nothing like seeing a bunch of naked chickens one morning. hehehe

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

You can tell one (or more) of your hens are molting when you walk into the pen and it looks like a pillow fight has broken out, feathers everywhere! i have one of my big girls molting, but can't tell who yet. So the feathers must be coming from all over her body and undercoat.

If it is picking, i've never tried pine tar, but i have tried Hot Pick and Blu-Kote, and neither of those worked at all for me.

 

[newchickmom]

Does anyone have any pictures of their hens in moult?