and so it begins...

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:55 pm

Saw the odd feather floating around when I opened the coop this morning but nothing drastic. This aft decided to go check on my head hen to see if she was ok because I hadn't seen her in the yard. She promptly turned around on her perch to show me this lol

: IMG_1952-240x320.JPG (25.63 KiB) Viewed 2801 times

She shook right after I took this pic and another 1000 feathers flew. Looks like a hard molt coming on.
Poor girl.

ross · Post by **ross** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:56 pm

It's natural , like gas it to shall pass . Luck

nekoatsume · Post by **nekoatsume** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:18 pm

I wondered why my birds were losing buckets of feathers.. Had to look up moulting. Are they ok going through a hard moly even when it's getting so cool out?

Post by **WLLady** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:30 pm

Try to up the protein a bit and they should grow in fairly quickly at this time of year.

ross · Post by **ross** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:30 pm

Yep just make sure no drafts in coop & extra feed if they want . I keep whole corn free choice out for them from now to spring , not high in protein but does put on extra fat for warmth . . Luck

Post by **Killerbunny** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:52 pm

Some of mine would drop all their feathers in January - yikes!

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:14 pm

Despite this being my 3rd adult molt to experience it still shocks me how fast it comes on. That's the first of my big girls to start and last year the rest were still nude in December. This is why I was asking about higher protein feed last week lol.
I baked them some flock blocks today (don't tell hubby since I don't bake for him!)

: _20161013_160814-320x223.JPG (23.16 KiB) Viewed 2785 times

I have always wanted try try them. Used chicken chick recipe and added sunflower seeds, leftover turkey stuffing and dried mealworms. Hopefully they eat them.

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:21 pm

My Twyla drops hers in a big way every year in December/January too. She always does a hard moult, much like KB's girls. I had to bring her inside for a week one year during an especially cold snap. She wasn't thrilled, and neither was I, but I couldn't leave her out shivering (literally) in minus 32 C with maybe 20% of her feathers left.

JimW · Post by **JimW** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:56 pm

Ya my one pen of laying hens I had to do a double check today to make sure all the birds were alive and accounted for feathers everywhere, dropping like leaves.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 12:28 am

Yeah feathers everywhere and no eggs!