What is molting?

[cherylcohen]

Hope others are interested in this....

I have 6-8 month old girls, they have not gone through a molt. Just wondering that to expect in terms of timing?

Will they molt in Spring, summer or wait till fall? do they all molt together?

 

[Bunnylady]

Blood splattered around, with no obvious wounds, and bare areas that don't feather over can be signs of feather eating by other chickens. Apparently, pin feathers taste good to some chickens, particularly if they have blood in them. Once it gets started, I haven't noticed that any dietary changes stop it. I have noticed that lower-ranking birds are more often the victims of it. The only "cure" I know of is to isolate the victim until the feathers fill back in, at which time the bird can rejoin the rest of the flock.

 

[cmom]

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I agree. Separate the victim for awhile.

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No, we got rid of the roos a few months before their molt started

I thought the bare back may have been from mating. My birds have been molting since this past july. This is the heaviest molt they have ever went through. Some are still molting. One bird I swear went through a molt in July and is molting again. All of my birds are banded.

 

[WoodChic]

Our birds have started to lay again, so I think they are coming out of the molt. Thank you everybody so much for your responses!