Normal sequence of moult?

[Marigold]

A few days ago Chuck remarked on the abnormal moulting patterns he'd noticed in some of his birds this year, which set me thinking about my girls. The youngest two, a Cream Legbar and a Buff Sussex, both hatched in Feb. this year, did a normal post-juvenile moult at 12-16 weeks. Both came into lay at around 23 weeks, at the end of August. At the end of Sept, the BS tried to go a bit broody and stopped laying, didn't start again even when dissuaded from maternity. In Oct, the CL also stopped laying. By Nov, both started neck moults. The BS was particularly copious, feathers everywhere, looked like a T. Naked Neck, and is now at the weird hedgehog stage as her black feathers emerge from pin. The CL's moult was less conspicuous and more discreet, as she was when doing her teenage moult.

I hadn't expected them to moult this Autumn as they still had those nice new adult feathers they grew only 4 months previously. They've both been in excellent health, eating all the proper stuff with interest, plus what they've found out ranging, and have had no stress etc. Would this be a normal pattern? The other two hybrids, hatched last November, have kept on laying ever since May, with no moult at all - now looking a bit tatty!

 

[chrismahon]

Hybrids don't moult much anyway Marigold, in my experience. They have thin feathers anyway. From memory the order is roughly wing feathers, back and belly, lower neck, tail and upper neck, legs. Some of ours that were separated due to cockerel damage refeathered last month and are now in full moult! Where is the sense in that? The leghorn bantams and the cream legbar have lost all their feathers in two weeks again -now cold and will be colder after tonights frost.

 

[karminski]

i hate it when it takes them so long to moult one of my leghorns was moulting for 4 weeks she looked so down and i really thought i should let her go as she looked so ill but as i knew she was moulting i gave her the chance to pull though it and she has now almost finished and has a nice very daz white looking bum :lol: :lol: the other 3 are still looking mucky talk about her being the odd one out .

 

[foxy]

It has been an odd one this year, I have pullets in a sort of "mini moult" which is rare. I have heard lots of poultry friends are experiencing slightly out of sync moulting patterns this year too, maybe something to do with our weather?

 

[karminski]

we are meant to be getting hit hard by a big freeze for the end of the week wander how they will cope with that ,if temps drop would that make the feathers grow quicker probably a stupid thing to ask :lol:

 

[chrismahon]

Hope you're not talking of THE big freeze Karminski, where if the gulf stream stops flowing soon, as they are predicting, we are going to have to heat them at this time of year. Mini-ice age apparently, which has happened many times before but has been accelerated by increased rainfall in the North resulting from global warming. Flow was 25% down last year and could stop at any time (flow is measured in cubic Kilometers per second!). Result -the Winter temperatures plummet to the extent that it will require ice breakers in the channel to keep shipping lanes open. I'll be needing a new boiler and some double glazing!

 

[Marigold]

Oh dear, Chris, you are gloomy tonight - what can we do to cheer you up?

Karminski, I'm relying on cod liver oil to help Marigold regrow her beautiful black neck feathers. Apart form looking like a real bad hair day, she hasn't been bothered at all by moulting. It's been like a broken pillow in the coop by morning, some nights!

 

[karminski]

if it goes that cold i am of to oz to visit my cousins :lol: :lol: and taking my pets with me .

they have said its meant to turn cold for a few weeks now and its still mild even at 5 in the morning , am already planing the morning warming feeds though . i need to go to our local countrywide the weekend to get some virkon etc so i will pick up some codliver oil then , shame you cant feed chickens sugarbeet thats good for horses in the winter .

 

[Sue]

Why do they moult at this time of year anyway? Seems pretty stupid if you ask me!!!

 

[Chuck]

Why do they moult at this time of year anyway? Seems pretty stupid if you ask me!!!

They usualy don't. That's why this year is unusual. Every other year most of mine would have been through the moult and back into full lay. There are always a few stragglers which moult late but they don't need any extra heat.
Hybrids moult just as heavily as standard bred poultry. There are two types; those that drop nearly all their feathers at once and come through quicker, and those that lose feathers over a longer period and never really have the bald look but it takes weeks.
Either way, it's great to see them looking sleek in their new feathers.

 

[Marigold]

thanks for that, Chuck - but why just the neck moults in my two? Marigold's knickers are a bit untidy, but otherwise everything's still in place!

 

[Sue]

Poor Marigold! Sorry to hear she's got untidy knickers!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[foxy]

Poor Marigold! Sorry to hear she's got untidy knickers!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Neck moult is a natural sort of intermediate moult, and nothing to worry about. Sometimes caused by a bit of stress although not exclusively so.

 

[Chuck]

Why ????? Just happens.

 

[Rebelodicus]

My "May chicks" have had a second mini moult. 07 The rest are either just finishing slow moults or not bothering. I found that mixed corn and a very small dusting of mineral powder keeps them happy. As for the cold? ... From now on I give them a feed of corn before bedtime. It creates heat as it is digested over night and they love it.

The only girl that took over a month and looked terrible was my Black Rock.(2 year old) I was worried for a while but she's fine now.


(BTW,,, @ Foxy. The Fav girls are doing great and laying well and I found a home for "His lordship" rather than inviting him for dinner 17 )

 

[chrismahon]

Our two year old Black Rock took even longer. Lost her feathers and they didn't regrow at all over Winter. My wife knitted a wooly jumper the same colour (Black) but she refused to keep it on and preferred to be cold. Brought her in several times over Winter to thaw her out and then this Spring she feathered up completely. Now she is moulting again!

 

[karminski]

one of mine had lovley pure white fluffly knickers yesterday and guess what today not so nice she did a runnyish poo dont look so white now another job for the weekend to clean her .