I keep thinking all the girls have done with moulting but then another girl starts. Like Ebony, Flame, had had a partial moult after going broody in the summer.
It seems that this means they moult in two halves. For the last couple of mornings I have been finding heaps of feathers under Flame’s roost spot in the chicken shed.
I am also picking up loads of feathers from the run each day and when Flame shook herself feathers wafted down from her. The odd thing is that Flame doesn’t really look any different.
It will be interesting to see if she stays looking this good. Smoke on the other hand looks a bit different at the moment. She has a patch of white feathers on her head.
I have lifted her up for a close inspection and these are soft, downy, white feathers on her head. I am not sure if they are under feathers and maybe the dark ones are yet to come through or if she will keep this white patch on her head. Only time will tell.
It’s interesting how some of the girls’ feathers change after moulting. I will keep an eye on Smoke’s head feathers and report back here at a later date.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Aw I do feel sorry for them when they’re moulting. Jasmine hasn’t started yet – she’ll probably wait until it’s absolutely freezing!! xx
I am amazed at how good Flame looks considering how many feathers I am picking up. It is frustrating that they wait until it’s really cold to moult. Maybe Jasmine will just moult a little at a time. xx
One of mine – a Dutch bantam – had a complete moult about 6 weeks ago but has now started again losing first her head feathers and now her tail. Very odd.
That is very odd. I have never heard of a chook moulting again after a complete moult. Sometimes twice after a partial moult and sometimes seramas moult a bit at a time. They can always throw something completely different at us!
Flame look very good, amazing after that pile of feathers.
I am amazed how good she looks. I picked up that amount feathers from the chicken shed for the last two days and the same again from the run at lunch times. I think her feathers must have already been growing in underneath.
She’s not your typical girl in the moult, by any means. I often find that mine moult after a spell of broodiness or during raising chicks, but always when the chicks need less warmth from mother. Let’s hope it’s quick and gentle for Flame.
Last year she stopped laying about a month earlier than this year and had a big moult leaving her looking dreadful. This year after going broody only once and having a partial moult this moult has been much less brutal. She is dropping masses of feathers but her pins and new feathers are already in place and she doesn’t look much different which is good. When I pick her up I can feel the pins which can’t be seen.