Do some breeds not molt?

[sybonbon]

Hi all. I am not new to chickens but I am really perplexed with my 20 month old Golden Comets and ISA Browns. They have not molted yet and lay 6 eggs every day. All of my other breeds are in mid molt now with no eggs. Is it possible to not molt at all or are they waiting until freezing winter weather to get started? Lol

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Mine never molt all at once. Usually it’s over a 4 month period I have various stages of molting birds. My Wyandotte this year waited until all of the other girls had molted before she started (I had some start molting beginning of August this year). It wasn’t until this week that she lost all of her feathers and is walking around looking like a plucked chicken.

 

[sybonbon]

Thanks

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Production breeds often molt later and faster than heritage breeds. I have a few older hens who’ve got all of their beautiful feathers back by now, and my younger Welsummers have barely started.

 

[ManueB]

Hi all. I am not new to chickens but I am really perplexed with my 20 month old Golden Comets and ISA Browns. They have not molted yet and lay 6 eggs every day. All of my other breeds are in mid molt now with no eggs. Is it possible to not molt at all or are they waiting until freezing winter weather to get started? Lol

My experience (and that of one or two other BYC members I discussed it with) has been that most red hybrids only begin to moult in their third winter. It's one of the thing that unfortunately shorten their lifespan and make them age prematurely, they have no break from laying.
They are bred that way.

 

[alinas2010]

I also was beginning to wonder if my cinnamon queens and sapphire gem would molt this year. My single New Hampshire Red hen molted already in September. It wasn’t until this morning that I woke up this morning to an explosion of feathers from both under the roost!

 

[sybonbon]

Production breeds often molt later and faster than heritage breeds. I have a few older hens who’ve got all of their beautiful feathers back by now, and my younger Welsummers have barely started.

Fast sounds good.

 

[sybonbon]

My experience (and that of one or two other BYC members I discussed it with) has been that most red hybrids only begin to moult in their third winter. It's one of the thing that unfortunately shorten their lifespan and make them age prematurely, they have no break from laying.
They are bred that way.

This is what I was wondering. It will be interesting to see. I've had 2 Red sexlinks before who molted just like the others but these new ones are amazing how they lay non stop.

 

[ManueB]

This is what I was wondering. It will be interesting to see.

I hope that they do.
My first flock was six hybrids that were rescued from a battery at only three months, due to very specific circumstances. Their lifespan was short ; the only one that molted during her second winter laying, was the one who lived the longest, a month short of five years old. We thought it was in part thanks to that, as all expect one died of reproductive diseases.

 

[sybonbon]

I had one live 8 years and died from her last molt.