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Snowy

Moulting Pics

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My two oldest hens Bertha (PP) and Beryl (GNR) have just undergone a very dramatic moult. Especially Beryl whose feathers all seemed to fall off at once! They are beautifully feathered again now so I thought I'd post some pics of during and after the moult. The first pictures were taken on 21st October and the last yesterday 11th December, so about 8 weeks from start to finish.

Beryl

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Bertha

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New coats for christmas

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Bertha has always looked lovely and fluffy, but ever since I got her in summer Beryl has looked half feathered. She looks gorgeous now! 8)

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Oh no, I feel like an elderly aunt who has no idea what the "youngsters" are talking about :( . What's "pmsl" when it's at home? :? (Is it rude? I do hope so :twisted: .)

 

It's not terribly polite!

 

Mine have all moulted to varying degrees.....but none as spectacularly as Beryl!

 

The new quills are a bit :shock: aren't they?

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:D Fantastic examples Snowy, thanks for posting those pics. My eldest had the same as your GNR but all over, including the head. It would be a terrible shock to anyone not familiar with moulting. I didn't want anyone to see my 5 heavy moulters, they looked like severe neglect cases but it was just nature.

I have been giving extra protein & tonic & they'll be through it soon. I also had one with just ahead moult, sometimes it's been just the chest in a partial moult.

 

Great photos though. I thought of doing it but seem to have a problem with cameras & computers, I'm so glad you have shown us. 8)

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Steve, it depends on when they are hatched. They wil do several moults and feather replacements after they are hatched and when they are growing their adult feathers. If they hatch early in the year, then you might get a partial moult that autumn; birds hatched a bit later (say May onwards) will probably not moult that winter and are likely to lay all through the winter months (well, at least that's what my pure-breeds do, hybrids usually lay right through any way).

 

You can expect an adult bird to moult every autumn, usually starting around September, although there will be exceptions to this rule as our girlies always want to be special :roll:

 

They will start by looking a bit pale and under the weather and will stop laying - nothing you can really put your finger on really. Last year all mine stopped laying within days of each other, it was so abrupt that I thought that someone was stealing the eggs! Then your garden will start to look like an exploded duvet! Some girls will moult less than others, some will go for the oven ready look. They will need extra care at this time; they won't need layers pellets so much as they aren't laying, so mix them 50/50 with chick crumbs, which are high in protein and help to make new feathers. Add some poultry spice to their feed, or the tonic to their water and make sure that they get loads of vegetables too.

 

It's good for them to stop laying and rest their lady-bits for a while, as they aren't laying it's also a good time to dose them with wormer and anti-lice preps as you won't need to bother with egg withdrawl.

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Thought I'd share my Abbie pictures as she started on the 30th November. The pictures don't do her justice, she looks scrawny and pitiful at the moment. Katy has joined in too and only has 2 tail feathers, but is fluffed up. They cower in the run a lot. Megan is smug as she is just growing back the final feathers and looks gorgeous. She goes dashing/flying as soon as you open the door to the run. They all lose feathers when they shake.

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Megan during moult without tail, and with tail and beautiful golden feathers after moult (back chicken)

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Wow - thanks for posting all the pics. I've never had a girl moult quite as drastically as that, especially Beryl.

 

Georgie moults quite badly every autumn, but its around her neck that it is obvious; she goes really scraggy. she gets a bit depressed as well.

 

The only thing I give them extra is spice which I add to their food.

 

The moults seem to me to get worse each year as they get older - but that may just be my girls and not a general experience.

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thank you for posting these pictures,

 

came down this morning and found the eglu full of feathers, it looked like someone had opened a pillow and threw it around a bit, saw Splodge looking really scrawny and very sorry for herself.

 

we think she is moulting (perfect timing, she chose this on the coldest day of the year, :roll: )

 

put some cat food out for the chooks and she ran over to it and dived right in - she must know that it will do her good. :lol:

 

cathy

x

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came down this morning and found the eglu full of feathers, it looked like someone had opened a pillow and threw it around a bit, saw Splodge looking really scrawny and very sorry for herself.

 

we think she is moulting (perfect timing, she chose this on the coldest day of the year, :roll: )

What are they thinking at this time of year?! Abbie has been perched body close to her feet with her head down against her body looking sorry for herself too. :roll:

I boiled some eggs for them, and fed some mealworms (got an excited sqeaking from Abbie).

What's strange is there are more large Katy feathers about, and very few Abbie feathers, but the eglu tray was full of Abbie feathers at the start before she got so bare :?

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