It’s funny but every year I am surprised by how early the moult starts. First Speckles was dropping loads of feathers and now Flame.
I checked back to July last year and I had taken some photos of Flame with no tail and I had titled my post “The moult has started early this year”.
I have also been looking back through the history of the flock and we collected Speckles in July and she promptly dropped all her tail feathers. I had to wait for her tail to come back in to get a good photo of her for my history.
So it is odd that every July I think that the moult has started early when in fact it actually starts at this time every year. I am going to try to remember that in future.
I also wondered if eggs would cease so I looked back at last year’s egg record. Flame started laying again after her moult and stopped after the first week in September so hopefully she will start laying again later this year.
Flame’s moult is faster than Speckles. They both look okay though and the most obvious thing is their tail.
It’s actually far better to moult in summer than winter so it’s probably not a bad thing. I am sure they will both be back to looking their best soon.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
The part-tails are not their most attractive features! You’re right, that to get the moult over before the colder weather is certainly a good thing and they will look pristine before long. Strangely, only my 3 broodies have done part-moults so far, but egg production is very low, so several must be about to begin casting their old feathers.
Egg production is low here too. Spangle has been part moulting and hasn’t laid for a month. Marmite is still laying soft shells so we don’t get to have her eggs. Smoke hasn’t yet resumed after her short broody spell. It was her shortest ever, only broody for four days, hurrah! Flame of course isn’t laying and Ebony is only laying every three days so may also be about to moult. Our current best layer is now Salmon who on average is laying every other day and no eggs from Speckles this year which is no surprise. As you say getting the moult over sooner rather later is better.
Never mind girls, you will soon be back, looking lovely.
They will. I am always surprised at how quickly new tail feathers grow back. They seem to be the fastest growing feathers.