Molting Chicken?

[Race3]

I have 8 1/2 month old chickens, and one of them (a Rhode Island Red) is showing signs of molting. She is losing feathers, her comb and wattles are small compared to what they were, and she is hiding from me and more skittish than usual. However, she is the lowest in my flock's pecking order. I am concerned since we've been having single digit temps. Is this Molting? Any Advice?

 

[Loving my girls]

At 8 1/2 months it’s unlikely she’s moulting. They normally don’t start until their second winter.
Have you checked her for mites ? If she is pecking at herself perhaps that’s the problem ?
A photo may help.

 

[sourland]

Sounds like molting. A picture would help rule out other possibilities.

 

[TheDandyLion]

I'm no expert, and only sharing a personal experience, so take it with a grain of thought.... but are they mostly just around the head and neck? Posting a pic will help the experts answer.

Last year, my barred rock lost all of her head and neck feathers at that age. We were having sub-0 temps at the time.

I was told at the time that chickens can have a partial molt their first winter. But to check for mites just in case.

She grew feathers back quickly, and was fine.

 

[Race3]

I forgot to mention, she has new, smaller feathers (but not pin feathers) beginning to grow under the wings. Additionally she has no bare patches.

 

[Race3]

here's a picture of her! would a different angle be better?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

I have 8 1/2 month old chickens, and one of them (a Rhode Island Red) is showing signs of molting. She is losing feathers, her comb and wattles are small compared to what they were, and she is hiding from me and more skittish than usual. However, she is the lowest in my flock's pecking order. I am concerned since we've been having single digit temps. Is this Molting? Any Advice?

Some chickens skip the molt their first fall/winter but some don't. Therre was a recent thread on the forum where a RIR pullet about that age was molting but her same aged flock mates were not. Yours sure sounds like molting to me.

Some chickens are fast molters, some are slow motlers. It's not about how fast the feathers grow back after they fall out, it is how fast they fall out. A fast molter can have bare spots as the feathers fall out so fast. You cannot tell by looking that a really slow molter is molting, the feathers fall out so slowly. But You can see some feathers flying around.

When a hen is laying, her comb and wattles are typically red. Thats the way the rooster can tell she is laying and her eggs need to be fertilized. When a hen is not laying, such as when she is molting or is broody, her comb and wattles turn pale. That tells the rooster she does not need to have her eggs fertilized. It doesn't matter if you have a rooster or not, these changed typically take place anyway.

Even chickens with bare skin (like Naked Necks) can usually handle cold weather pretty well. Your hen is apparently a slow molter, no bare spots. She should be able to handle that cold weather fine.

 

[Race3]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!


Some chickens skip the molt their first fall/winter but some don't. Therre was a recent thread on the forum where a RIR pullet about that age was molting but her same aged flock mates were not. Yours sure sounds like molting to me.

Some chickens are fast molters, some are slow motlers. It's not about how fast the feathers grow back after they fall out, it is how fast they fall out. A fast molter can have bare spots as the feathers fall out so fast. You cannot tell by looking that a really slow molter is molting, the feathers fall out so slowly. But You can see some feathers flying around.

When a hen is laying, her comb and wattles are typically red. Thats the way the rooster can tell she is laying and her eggs need to be fertilized. When a hen is not laying, such as when she is molting or is broody, her comb and wattles turn pale. That tells the rooster she does not need to have her eggs fertilized. It doesn't matter if you have a rooster or not, these changed typically take place anyway.

Even chickens with bare skin (like Naked Necks) can usually handle cold weather pretty well. Your hen is apparently a slow molter, no bare spots. She should be able to handle that cold weather fine.

Thank you so much!