Mid morning I went in the girl’s run and saw about six feathers from Butterscotch. Uh oh! It looked as if she was going into the moult. By lunch time there was a pile of her feathers in the run. She is definitely moulting. Later after I had picked up all the feathers I saw her preening under the table surrounded by a circle of feathers.
It’s official, Butterscotch is moulting. This means that there will be no more eggs until spring. A little later Honey had one of her own feathers stuck to her foot. She must have walked in something, lost a feather and was walking around with it stuck to her foot. I crept up behind her and removed it.
This means she is the last of the flock to start her moult. I have never had eight girls moulting before because last year Peaches and Barley didn’t moult as it was their first year. This means it is the first year that I will have no eggs over the winter. Oh well, it had to happen eventually!
On a more positive note Honey seems to be looking happier so perhaps it was the impending moult that was making her feel a bit off her game.
I decided to put the rest of the turf in the run as it was beginning to turn a bit yellow. I rolled it out like a rug in the furthest part of the run and the girls have been enjoying it all day. At lunch time it had many of Butterscotch’s feathers on it.
The rest of the turf
Speckles and Butterscotch are enjoying the grass
A fluffy bottom
Butterscotch has such a fluffy bottom. She has taken over from Sparkle with the fluffiest bottom in the flock. Maybe not for much longer, depending on how her moult goes, but the girls will all look beautiful again once they have their lovely new feathers.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
At least it gives them a chance to recharge their batteries . I always think they need a rest.
That’s true. It is my first winter with no eggs at all but I can’t keep adding girls to get winter eggs! Butterscotch must be a bit older than I thought she was. Oh well, I must wait until spring.
I still have a few laying, but that will drop to zero before long. Mine usually start again i January – I could well see Butterscoth and the leghorns starting again early. At least, if Butterscotch and Honey are now starting, you’ll not be picking up feathers for ever!
Last year Topaz laid her first three in January and Sparkle started back in February so I may have some of the girls starting back early.
The most feathers at the moment are from Topaz and Butterscotch but with a few from all the rest of the girls thrown in. I am still picking up more feathers than poop at the moment. The girls don’t look bad though apart from shabby Peaches.