The moult seems so late this year, late as in as much as, it started in December and has now tipped over into January. Flame, Dandelion and Cinnamon all stared their moult in December.
The odd thing about moulting is that tail feathers seem to grow really quickly. We seem to see Flame’s tail getting longer each day. But pin feathers on heads seem to take forever. Dandelion has had pin feathers on her head for ages. At one point I said that they seemed to be finally opening as she had some fluff on her head. I now think that may have been the last fluffy feathers to fall out as her head is entirely covered in pins now.
Dandelion and Cinnamon spend a lot of time in the small shelter when it’s cold and every day I find Cinnamon’s feathers on the ground inside the shelter. She has loose wing feathers and pins on her neck and head.
Flame’s tail is growing back
Flame facing the other way
Cinnamon has pins on her neck
I had to catch her drinking to show her neck.
Cinnamon and Dandelion both have pins on their heads
Dandelion’s head of pins
Cinnamon’s pins on her head
It is really frustrating because these two don’t have head feathers at the coldest time of the year. I am willing those pins to open as they need those head feathers. You can see some feathers on the ground below them which have fallen recently as it’s not long since I picked them all up.
Dandelion is now dropping tail feathers too. If only we could choose when they moult then I would have them moult much earlier when the weather was warmer but it is out of our control.
I can only keep willing those feathers to come through as soon as possible.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Bless them, it seems to be taking a long time to get over the moult, this year.
It does seem to be taking forever. I will be so glad when they are through this. Seramas are supposed to moult a few feathers at a time but no one seems to have told Dandelion and Cinnamon that.
It’s been such a long hard moult this year! xx
It Has been. I could hear a slight wheezing from Dandelion at bedtime last night so this morning I have put them back on tylan for the next five days to be on the safe side.
Oh no! It’s good that you know the signs now and are listening out for it! xx
She seems fine today and I may bit over paranoid but I would rather be safe than sorry. All the girls are still occasionally sneezing but it took all winter last year to stop completely and they are fine otherwise and some laying so I am not worrying about that. Dandelion is always the most vulnerable and is always effected as soon as we have a frost which we did recently. This year she has had no bubbles in her eyes though which I think is because it’s mostly been milder but it really isn’t helpful to have no head feathers. I can tell when she is less than happy and I listen closely and now treat at the first wheeze to be safe. One day of tylan in the water and the mash already seems to have perked her up plus it is a bit milder today. I will always have to stay vigilant. xx
I have just been up to check on the girls (pop hole closes at 4.30pm at the moment). I stuck my head in the shed to have an, up close, listen to Dandelion and she still has a bit of a wheeze. I will keep going with the tylan and watch her closely.
Carol, thank you ever so for you post.Much thanks again.
Your welcome.
I do hope they’re all through before the worst of the weather arrives.
Sorry David, I just realised that I missed replying to this one. I also really hope they get fully feathered before any really bad weather comes. Dandelion had a bit of a wheeze for three evenings (they are currently back on tylan for five days because of that) when I stuck my head in the shed to listen but no sound from her tonight at all. I hope we have weathered this one again.