Why do chooks moult just when it's getting so coooollllddd?

[VirginVegGrower]

Two of mine are going through a drastic moult to, poor Betty looks almost oven ready! They haven't all moulted though and they are the same age which I find odd. I'm amazed at how quickly the new feathers are coming back ,the quills are poking through after a couple of days.
My lot go mad for mealworms and they do the beak wiping after porridge too. Maybe I should provide napkins!!

Maybe so and silver cutlery - could be a new line and money maker

[jimred]

Most wild birds moult after breeding(July& August), Blackbirds, Robins Dunnocks etc, they normally disappear from your gardens or hide for a few weeks.

They moult there primary feathers first, but not all at once so they still have the ability for short flights. at the same time they moult the body feathers finishing with the head.

Migrant birds, Warblers etc some moult before leaving for Africa and some moult when they arrive at the wintering grounds, lucky them.
Swallows, Martins Swifts etc moult in Africa.
Ducks & Swans often moult all the flight feathers at once (eclipse) at the same time as they have young and are unable to fly.

[kathyd]

That's interesting jimred, thanks . But it seems that most of the birds you've mentioned are moulting during, or in preparation for, the warmer weather.. unlike poor little chickens!! *Rant*

[Hilary B]

Ducks (well drakes in particular) moult twice, once into 'breeding colours' and again back to 'eclipse'.
In theory the chooks will have a lovely new suit of feathers just as the VERY coldest weather arrives, in practice, they are often a bit late.....

[jimred]

As chicken don't need to fly they can moult at anytime, but its hard to understand why they are still moulting in November perhaps its a sign of a mild winter?
i'm sure i didn't have any moulting last November when the snow fell? as well as supply eggs they can also used a weather station?

That's interesting jimred, thanks . But it seems that most of the birds you've mentioned are moulting during, or in preparation for, the warmer weather.. unlike poor little chickens!! *Rant*

[kathyd]

Hi Hilary B and jimred. To be honest, most of my chickens seem fine with their moult and are only losing a few feathers at a time, it's just the maran who's suffering so badly. I wouldn't know when their normal moult is Jim, I only got them a few weeks ago and I'm learning as I go along. But I'm certainly glad the weather IS mild at the moment! I think lots of birds and presumably wild animals and plants are confused by the weird weather at the moment aren't they? Do you know whether the process is painful to them? My OH suggested Dotty might be staggering because her quills are hurting as they come through, maybe rubbing against her legs or something? I mean, think what it's like when you do that bikini line in the summer - it can make me squawk at times! (Sorry, maybe too much information there!).

[RichmondHens]

Heavy moulting is a sign of a good layer. Hopefully she will reward your TLC with loads of eggs next year. I read a long time ago that birds possibly feel a bit like us with flu when they moult (don't know how that was worked out but they obviously are not themselves because their behaviour changes). Just hang in there, both you and the hen, she will recover in time. It takes longer than you think though certainly for some birds, they don't just bounce back overnight. My cream legbars are just starting to be more assertive again after weeks of skulking in the bushes while they moulted.

[kathyd]

[QUOTE=RichmondHens;917442]Heavy moulting is a sign of a good layer. QUOTE]

It is?? Lol, then I'm not going to have many eggs next year because none of the others has suffered nearly as badly! I can cope with behaviour changes, I just worry when they actually seem ill - she seems much better in herself most of the time at the moment, especially on a milder day, but her legs still seem to collapse sometimes which I'm sure they don't normally do... I'm sure I would have noticed collapsing legs before now if it happened regularly. However, her eyes are brighter, and she's pecked the others on and off for pinching her food today. She even pushed them off the ramp into the coop this evening because they were queueing up behind her at bedtime and she was blocking the doorway - until I realised that I'd left the pop hatch shut when I cleaned out earlier, so she couldn't get in and was being shoved against it in the scurry for bedtime! It was hilariously funny to watch really, but I suppose I shouldn't be so mean since it was my fault . I do find it helps a lot getting information and support on this forum though - I'd be really panic stricken without it, so thanks .