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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Plucked chicken aka molting

Chloe is molting. Even though she's the youngest chicken (about 18 months old, which is prime molting time), the older two have managed to escape a full-blown feather explosion like she's experiencing. I wish I could get some better pictures for you, but suffice it to say, she looks an absolute mess.

Here you can somewhat see her neck. It looks like it's been through the wringer:


And, here you can see her missing feathers. Paco has been enjoying them as a backyard snack:


She's stopped producing eggs during this whole procedure, although I think she's still spending a bunch of time up in the nesting box. Poor girl.
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8 comments:

  1. RachelNovember 8, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    My chickens also look like hell right now! I have one that looks like 50 miles of bad road. She's a biennial molter so her feathers are EXTRA horrible.

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  2. Robj98168November 8, 2011 at 10:15 PM

    Do chickens get mange???

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  3. MichelleNovember 9, 2011 at 4:36 AM

    I have a Cuckoo Maran who's molting right now, and we snicker at her daily, over how raggedy she looks! It does get better, though :)

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  4. MelissaNovember 9, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    Five of our seven Ameraucanas are experiencing their first molt right now. I feel bad for the poor Ladies, it doesn't look like much fun.

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  5. Jenn, Pint-sized PioneeringNovember 9, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    I think that molting must be so uncomfortable: it's cold, prickly, and takes up all their energy. My molting Rhode Island Red is a cranky m-e-s-s.

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  6. UnknownNovember 9, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    Poor girl! So moulting is the chicken equivalent of acne?

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  7. Anna @ Blue DirtNovember 10, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    I call it chicken hell raiser. All those little pinfeathers look like nails growing out of their skin. Poor Henrietta got it the worse and has been hiding in our garage most of the fall.

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  8. HoneyNovember 12, 2011 at 7:08 AM

    Last year I was teasing our raw dairy farmer that her molting girls were the natural gals version of "fast food." ;) Luckily our gals are not old enough to molt and I'm hoping they won't until its nice and hot. You could take a black trash can add straw and turn it on its side. It'll draw heat and be warmer for her during the day when she's no one to cuddle with while they're foraging for the day. Easy and the dollar tree sells em for a buck. Or use flat matte black plastic spray paint and spray a bucket or something that'll hold heat. I've made little a frames throughout their yard and have the inside black, turned south and the south side has a clear plastic over it. Its also hawk protection. During summer as I just have the wood a frames for shade and so they can hide from all the hawks.

    ~Honey

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