Talk to me about molting....

[miss_thenorth]

Some molt gradually and don't look too scruffy. Others look diseased!

That's an understatement!!!!!! One of my Speckled Sussex this year took forever to grow her feathers back! E kept insisting that there must be something wrong with her, she was the only one who went nearly bald!

Ditto! I have some pretty sad looking hens at the moment--it is embarrasing when people come over and see them looking like that. but.... Out of 11 hens, I'm getting 6-9 eggs a day still, so it could be worse.

 

[freemotion]

It is more about getting a nice, fresh batch of feathers to waterproof and insulate them for winter. Mine usually molt in the hottest weather, but we didn't have any this year. Plus I added some new chickens to the flock, not once, but twice. Throws the flock dynamic off. Sheesh. I refuse to buy eggs!

 

[Wifezilla]

My duck Chrissy looked like she had been plucked for a couple of weeks. Her wing feathers are finally coming back in so she doesn't look so silly anymore. Wendy is looking pretty scruffy, but she isn't losing gobs of feathers. Shelley, no change. The two new girls haven't laid yet. They are only 5 months old so they could start any day. Out of 5 ducks I am getting 1 egg per day

 

[DianeB]

My chickens are molting but for some reason my little society finch has never lost a feather.

 

[big brown horse]

Is your society finch an indoor bird?

My three big girls have all gone through molt one is still in the process. The only one that kept laying eggs the whole time was Ruby my drill sergeant of a Rhode Island Red. She is a trooper! Out of 6 hens I am getting only one egg a day!

I love having different color chickens, but I think I'm going to only buy RIRs from now on.

 

[DianeB]

Is your society finch an indoor bird?

My three big girls have all gone through molt one is still in the process. The only one that kept laying eggs the whole time was Ruby my drill sergeant of a Rhode Island Red. She is a trooper! Out of 6 hens I am getting only one egg a day!

I love having different color chickens, but I think I'm going to only buy RIRs from now on.

He is an indoor bird. I am pretty sure that is why he has never molted.

Lately, I have been putting his cage outside with the hens. We have a small urban backyard. So, when he is on the patio he is with them. Eventhough, he is up high my Ethel still seems to steal food from him. Thats when he comes back inside. Poor bird. What is he to do when a chicken with a head bigger than his body takes things from him. Our two cats also seem to want to have a piece of him.

 

[big brown horse]

I love your chicken's name!

 

[DianeB]

Ooohhh!! I will tell Ethel that you think her name is funny. That will probably make her mad. You don't want to make her mad. Or so the one eyed, three legged and emotionally scarred cat nextdoor will tell you.

 

[big brown horse]

Too funny! What kind of chicken is she?

 

[DianeB]

She is either a Golden Comet/Gold Star or a Rhode Island Red. I got all my chickens out of a bin that said red pullets at the feed store. They said RIR. I just go with that.

Ethel rules the roost and is the queen of the pets. What she says goes. Everyone, even our cats and dog, make way for her.