Emerald is moulting the most heavily and is still looking really tatty.
Emerald
This is Emerald’s favourite place to perch while she is moulting and she spends a lot of time preening in this spot. Her white tipped under feathers are on show here.
Preening
Toffee
Toffee is missing some tail feathers creating a gap between her remaining tail feathers. Other than that she is looking pretty good though.
Peaches and Barley
Peaches is in the foreground with Barley close behind her as usual. They are never far apart. They both have the odd loose feather on their sides.
Speckles
Speckles still looks pristine and hasn’t lost a feather yet.
Butterscotch
Butterscotch’s pins are opening once more. I have never known a chicken moult for as long as Butterscotch. She has been moulting at the end of each broody spell since last summer. She seems to almost get her feathers through then she is off again.
I really hope this time her feathers come in and stay in. As usual for her after missing laying an egg yesterday she laid her egg at first light this morning. It is good to have her laying again.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I am sure E merald will be back laying soon.
Unfortunately she won’t start laying again until next year. The game girls have a short season of three months, March, April and May. They then moult and start laying again next spring. The rest of the girls lay from February until the end of August (seven months) then moult and start again in spring.
Butterscotch is the exception because last winter was her first winter and they lay through the first winter. Because of her broodiness she stops and starts continually which is why she is constantly moulting. She will probably stop when the rest of the girls do and won’t lay or go broody this winter. It will be interesting to see as she is the unknown factor.
I am making the most of the eggs at the moment. Speckles, Peaches and Barley and now Butterscotch are laying. Speckles and Peaches lay about four eggs a week and Barley only lays one egg a week. Butterscotch lays about five a week when she hits her stride.
While Toffee and Emerald were laying they were laying about five eggs a week.