Where do they molt!

[jarvisite99]

Where do chickens molt! I just got 5 black jersey giants and the guy told us that 3 of them were in there molt. In their molt do their backs go bare? I don't think their supposed to be molting on their backs, but I know they molt on the neck.

Thanks.

 

[Frost Homestead]

they can pretty much molt all over their bodies. the bare backs might be from a roo mating them. are you getting any eggs?

 

[jarvisite99]

Quote:
Just got one egg last night, but the guy told us they weren't laying

one was a male it also had some fathers on its back missing but was with another roo.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've two in molt now. One you'd not know by looking and the other looks like a completely different chicken; her under white shows in patches all over from head to thighs. With most her outer feathers gone she looks a pound lighter too. They molt completely but how fast the process is different for each bird, fast and startling to look at in winter is a "hard" molt. You think Brrr...poor girl.

 

[ChicKat]

First the head feathers, and last the 'flight feathers' on the wing, and in between all the other feathers. Congrats on getting an egg from your chickens that supposedly aren't laying right now. :O) lol

 

[jarvisite99]

I have 4 buff Brahmas that just molted on their necks.

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
I think egghead_jr has a very good point that it will be a little differerent for each bird, and I think it will vary from one molt to the next.

 

[JodyJo]

Here are a couple shots of my 39 week olds...molting ONLY on the neck right now.

they are already growing back on the last 2 hens posted...the BR are just getting started...it looks like something
from a horror movie! And its JUST the necks right now! You can see the pin feathers coming back in...
creepy....

 

[JohnHenry]

Completely bare backs may also be an indication that they are pulling out each others feathers. I have one hen who pulls out her own feathers so I had to buy her an vest to cover her back.

 

[actressbarbie]

I have one who is molting pretty bad right now on her neck. And a couple who didn't molt too bad. They all looked pretty much like the previously posted pics. I agree that maybe they're pulling feathers out. Try putting a little Vaseline on the affected area. We had one who was getting pecked and we did that. You have to keep up with the Vaseline for a few days but they stopped pecking her. The Vaseline is safe but since it's sticky, they don't like it on their beaks. Hang in there!