Winter Molt??

jennybvcr

Songster
Apr 4, 2018
234
496
161
Connecticut
It feels like months since the last time I came screaming inside from my duck chores needing your sage advice...

My Cayuga is losing a LOT of feathers. Mainly her flight feathers. Poor thing looks like a disheveled mess. I read ducks will molt in phases, but I’m a little freaked out about her losing all these feathers when our average temp is 20•.

1) is this normal
2) why aren’t all my ducks molting
3) is there anything I can do to help the process along

I included a few photos. They’re not great because she won’t let me get too close.
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I think the long warm fall had a lot to do with It. Not sure if yours was like that but my Muscovy's have been in molt it seems for 2 months now. One of my cochin bantam hens just gave up being broody and she is in molt. I am more worried about her than the ducks since the ducks have a nice layer of down under the feathers they lose where some of my chickens are almost completely bald by the time they are through losing their feathers and start to regrow. Hopefully this little hen won't.
 
I am more worried about her than the ducks since the ducks have a nice layer of down under the feathers they lose where some of my chickens are almost completely bald by the time they are through losing their feathers and start to regrow. Hopefully this little hen won't.

Sounds like you’re looking at an indoor chicken...:barnie
 
Well I am watching her closely. Some years back my Lavender Orpington molted so late and was just about naked I put a hen saver on her she wore it for a month till all her feathers grew back in. I have the sweeter heater already up in the coop too if I need to turn it on.
 
My indoor duck, Warrior, just molted like that a week or so ago.

SO. MANY. FEATHERS.

Her flight feathers fell out and now her wings look sooo tiny! I know they're supposed to lose their flight feathers right now but like you I'm confused as how they stay warm enough when they lose a whole bunch of body feathers :confused:
 
Sonia is a raggety ass mess, that's for sure. She looks like the walk of shame every single morning. I'm just glad she's not the only one going through it in the damn dead of winter.

I know! Warrior could have supplied a pillow factory with all that mess!
 

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