Unsecure chicken perches

[kerryegg]

I bought Ginger and Pepper in February 2008 from Omlet with eglu etc and have had a regular supply of eggs until December.Ginger even layed an egg in the Omlet hen carrier as the eglu was being assembled which was fantastic. Ginger stopped laying early December and started sheding feathers everywhere. Peppar has continued to lay about 5 eggs a week. Now Ginger seems to have grown more feathers and is really fluffy and...................today laid an egg.

Have I escaped the bald chicken bit? Both girls are well, eating well, been wormed and have treats and poultry spice. I am a bit confused. Thanks for any info.

[Henhathnofury]

Every chicken is very different...some have minor moults and some become almost completely bald. You may have 'escaped' a moult with one or she could still be due one. Mine have never moulted at the same time.....

[Laura & CTB]

One of mine seems to have been moulting since September - she will drop a load of feathers then nothing fora couple of weeks, then an egg then more feathers no eggs etc etc so she has never really been bald at all unlike one of my others who dropped all her feathers in the space of a few days - she looked like she'd had an accident with a plucking machine

 

Sounds like she's opted for the "bit at a time" approach!

[ubereglu]

Definitely sounds like a moult to me! Don't worry, it's perfectly natural and happens yearly, generally during the year after their first winter.