Butterscotch lays for three weeks then goes broody for two weeks as regular as clockwork. The weird thing is that every time she goes broody she moults. I thought that this gradual moulting was going to mean a different section of her would moult each time until she had replaced all her feathers.
What is really weird though is that last time she went broody she moulted her head and neck feathers. In the three weeks that she returned to laying these pin feathers opened and she was just about completely covered again.
Now she has been broody for a week and she has lost these same head and neck feathers but there are pins again.
Butterscotch had these feathers back in
This was Butterscotch two weeks ago which was one week before she went broody.
Butterscotch’s head and neck now
Close up
Butterscotch looks like she did the last time she went broody. I am puzzled that she lost these feathers then they grew back and now she has lost them again and they are growing back again.
I wonder if this normal for a broody goldtop. I am beginning to wonder if she is ever going to be fully feathered and keep her feathers. She seems to being going through this process for such a long time.
I was so pleased to see her feathers back in and then disappointed to see them gone again and now am pleased to see pins again but don’t know what to expect next. I have never come across a girl like her before. I would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
You’ve got a Serial Broody there. Hang in there.
I don’t know about the feathers. But ask around and see if anyone has eggs they want hatched and let her broody. It was the only thing that finally broke my Honey Bear from being broody every four weeks like clock work for months on end.
I know she would love to brood but I haven’t room for more girls plus I wouldn’t know what to do if I got cockerels. I made the decision not to have more than six girls in my set up after the problems with feather pulling. She will just have to continue. The continuing moult is weird though.
It would be a good idea if there was someone who wanted to have some eggs hatched. bless her ,she looks so pretty with her fluffy top.
I know but it’s just not practical. I don’t know anyone who would want eggs hatching and the timing has to be perfect and I would have to separate and look after them until six weeks old at least and then I probably wouldn’t want to part with them. All in all it’s just not an option.