When should chickens molt?

[Delta2 23]

I have two hens who are about a year and a half old. They were born in September 2008.
Summer has just been and they're showing no signs of molting whatsoever, around what age do they usually start?

 

[BarkerChickens]

Fall into winter is when they'll start to molt. They are at an age where it'll be soon. Some molt right at the end of summer...some take their time into winter.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Chickens normally molt after a year of laying so 18 months old or so depending on how old they were when they started laying. It is not just fall or whatever, it depends on when they were hatched. A good layer will lay a year and then molt and a great layer may lay over a year before molting. I have had hybrids that were hatched in July, started laying in November & then molted Dec-Feb a year after, yes in the dead of winter. Hope this helps.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I've got two that still haven't molted from last year. They look awful, but seem healthy otherwise.

.....Alan.

 

[Lazyhead]

Mine are about 18 months old and just starting to molt. I am hoping they can keep laying through the summer though!

 

[Ridgerunner]

This site may help you. No reason you can't tap into our extension service. What normally triggers a molt is the daylight hours getting shorter but other things can cause a molt to start. If they have a light source, like a light outside a coop window, they may not know the hours are getting shorter.

Mississippi State describes molting
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

 

[Delta2 23]

All natural daylight, they run free not shut in a coop

And the days have started getting noticeably shorter, seeing as the sun rises after seven now and it used to be at six.

 

[Happy Chooks]

2 of mine molted this winter and they were only 9 months old at the time! I agree though, yours will be molting soon, if not already.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Quote:
Mine are only 9 months old and at least 4 or 5 of my 13 are molting. I did de-worm them with Warzine, and believe the change in the water may have contributed to bringing on the molt. Will then lose most of their feathers, or just spotting like they are now?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Mine are only 9 months old and at least 4 or 5 of my 13 are molting. I did de-worm them with Warzine, and believe the change in the water may have contributed to bringing on the molt. Will then lose most of their feathers, or just spotting like they are now?

My buttercup lost almost everything. She had "some" body feathers left, but she lost all the feathers on her head first, then it spread to the neck, chest, belly, under her wings, tail feathers. She looked really horrible and her comb was shriveled too.

My BR lost feathers, but not to the degree that my buttercup did.

3 1/2 months later, they both started laying again. My buttercup's eggs are a little larger, but the BR eggs are now HUGE!