After a few nights of finding heaps of feathers in the chicken shed Flame didn’t look much different. She had a shorter tail which I thought was due to the long tail feathers falling out leaving shorter tail feathers growing underneath. This is her first moult with us so I didn’t know what to expect.
I was wrong! It must have been long tail feathers falling out first to be followed by shorter tail feathers falling out next. Flame’s tail feathers had dropped in the chicken shed last night.
Flame’s tail feathers dropped in the shed over night
Flame looked very different this morning. She had lost her tail and had also lost her confidence as often happens during a heavy moult.
I returned to the run with my camera but couldn’t see Flame. It always causes me a moment of alarm when I can’t see a girl even though I know that they can’t get out. Eventually I found her hiding in the wooden shelter and looking very sorry for herself.
A very sorry looking Flame taking refuge in the shelter
There goes another loose feather
She does look very odd
Tailless Flame
I can’t believe that I have been saying for days that she hardly looked any different. Flame certainly looks very different now. At least she has no bare patches at the moment and hopefully she will soon be feathered up again.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Poor Flame, it really does take it out of them. I think it’s a myth about seramas not having a big moult – all my girls are this year – I pick up dozens and dozens of feathers every day. Poor Nellie my black serama is looking very poorly indeed with a bald head – she is normally the most greedy when I put out the pellet porridge but she isn’t really that much interested at the moment. I’ll be so relieved when they’re all feathered up again! xx
Dandelion has had a big moult this year but Cinnamon has only dropped an odd feather. The younger girls are all losing some feathers. speckles is done. Ebony is losing an odd feather and poor Flame is losing more feathers than I remember seeing before. I will be glad when it’s all over.
Poor Flame, what a lot of feathers to lose in one go, hope they grow in soon.
It is an awful lot of feathers to lose in one go. She has dropped more long feathers in the run today. I suppose she is getting it done quickly though. I will be glad when they are all back to normal.