mrs chook Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Hi My two newies, White Sussex and ?Maran type are shedding feathers like "Ooops, word censored!"ody's business. Is this moulting at approaching 16 weeks old? My two gingernut girls barely seem to moult and they're 2.5 years old. Could it be stress as they are quite nervy and have been in eglu and run for two weeks since I got them? Bertha is attempting a bit of a peck through the run wire every so often but not getting feathers. Any advice would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 My brahmas moulted very early on and they looked as if they were neglected. I took them to a local breeder who laughed and said that brahmas should look like that. Some of my other girls have never really moulted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs chook Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thanks! I was getting a bit panicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 When I got my last lot of girls they were losing their baby fluffy feathers and getting their adult ones at around that age............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hils78 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Mrs Chook I was wondering the same thing about one of my 18 week old Pekin Bantams. I seem to find feathers everywhere at the moment. I know they're hers because I don't have another chicken that colour. Its typical, just coming upto egg laying age & she looks like she's going into a moult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 It's perfectly normal. Aparently, I read somewhere that from hatching until laying they can moult 3 times. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 That's good then, our buff (about 14/15 weeks) is losing lots of feathers and I thought it might be the other 2 making sure that she is below them in the pecking order, although I never saw them do anything apart from exclude her from the dust bath or just ignore her. The other two have lost a couple of huge wing feathers (to DD's delight) and other fluffy ones but not as many. I wasn't sure if it was a moult, so have been adding poultry spice to their food anyway. Their favourite preening patch is under the cube by the wheels - it looks like a pillow factory in there! I have been picking up the feathers within reach in case they eat them - would it harm them or encourage them to pull feathers off each other to eat - not as if they're starving and they have a big wander round patch too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I think it might vary by breed. Lily, our silver nick moulted at about this age, and so started laying later than Lottie who was the same age. Once Lily had fully re-feathered she started laying and has never stopped! She's definately our best layer now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 My Sussex Girls moulted quite a lot when they were around 16-18 weeks as they were losing their last juvenile feathers. So long as they've not got any lice or mites and there's no feather pulling from any other hens, it's nothing to worry about . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Earlier on today our buff shook herself and out came more feathers, so it isn't the other girls - on with the poultry spice then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs chook Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 It's perfectly normal. Aparently, I read somewhere that from hatching until laying they can moult 3 times. Emma.x Yoinkers! I had no idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
