cluckbok Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Our Matilda is moulting, you can't miss it, feathers everywhere, all in the nestbox and in the run and she's stopped laying. Wasn't expecting it just yet! Have any of you noticed that when your hens are moulting that they don't really want to be picked up or stroked? It's just that normally she's so easy to pick up and to stroke but at the moment doesn't really want to know, even with the temptation of corn! Today she just hid under the garden table.! I miss our little cuddles! but understand that maybe she wants to be left alone while she's moulting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Mine aren't cuddly chickens but when Barney was moulting she didn't want to come near us at all. I think it takes so much out of them that they just feel grumpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Yeah I think she has chook PMT cause she was hiding under the table, she's not daft!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Their hormones dip and they become skittish again for a while. As soon as they feather up and start laying again, it all changes back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ruby is still like that even though she has feathered up again. Her comb is still quite pink but it shouldn't be long now before we start getting eggs again Pearl has now decided it's her turn to moult and we now have black feathers everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 How long does the moult take? Hope it doesn't go on too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlbird Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 How long does the moult take? Hope it doesn't go on too long! Ginger and Gertrude took about a month but the 4 we have now - 2 Omlets and two ex batts - have been partially moulting since last summer and are now going through a full moult. OH reckons they'll never lay again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Crikey lets hope he's wrong and they do lay again! I hope ours does, OH won't buy eggs We only got one laying at mo so the eggs are very precious like 9ct gold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ruby stopped laying the end of October and we haven't had any eggs yet. I'm worming them again - just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
