# Can you always tell when your chickens molt?



## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Do you always know when your chickens molt?


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

Not always, but I usually have a pretty good idea based on who is looking patchy, has stopped laying, or has had their comb shrink a bit. I have noticed that my roosters are particularly hard to tell when they're molting and I usually only know when they start dropping tail feathers. Some of my girls, though, are complete disasters when they molt. I'm rather glad that my notoriously disastrous molters all seem to be molting _now _and not in December this year.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> Not always, but I usually have a pretty good idea based on who is looking patchy, has stopped laying, or has had their comb shrink a bit. I have noticed that my roosters are particularly hard to tell when they're molting and I usually only know when they start dropping tail feathers. Some of my girls, though, are complete disasters when they molt. I'm rather glad that my notoriously disastrous molters all seem to be molting _now _and not in December this year.


That is my concern! I was hoping that they would all molt now before it gets cold. Currently, only my mama hen appears to be molting. She really reminds me of a disheveled, sleep deprived mom. 😂 

All the other hens look fine, and I was hoping that maybe they molted and just didn’t show as much. Please don’t decide to do this in the middle of winter, ladies!


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Usually my field will be filled with feathers.
Literally you can't even see the grass it's all just feathers. Do they molt every season? Like spring, summer, fall and winter? Or just once a year?
Cause usually I don't pay much attention to that stuff.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> Usually my field will be filled with feathers.
> Literally you can't even see the grass it's all just feathers. Do they molt every season? Like spring, summer, fall and winter? Or just once a year?
> Cause usually I don't pay much attention to that stuff.


I don’t always remember what I read, but I think I read that they typically molt once a year after they get adult feathers, usually in the late summer or fall. I think it varies by type of chicken too.

There are a lot of feather in my yard too, but a lot of them look like turkey feathers, so I don’t know. The white mama chicken is obviously molting because she looks sparsely feathered and the pen is full of white feathers. She isn’t acting sick in any other way, so I assume it is a molt. She needed it the most too because she had some damaged feathers from our old rooster and from crunching her tail against the side of the nesting box.


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Do you always know when your chickens molt?


From my thoughts: YES. they look like little chicken devils.


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

Juvenile chickens go through periodic molts as they grow, but after they reach maturity, they only molt once a year in the fall, or sometimes during or immediately after rearing a batch of chicks as you're observing with your girl. Most young chickens skip molting in their first fall and only truly have an adult molt from their second fall on, but some of mine have had an adult molt in their first fall as well.

Feathers everywhere is a good indicator!  I guess I didn't think of that because I have so many birds that they're all molting at different times, and I can't necessarily tell by feathers on the ground if a specific bird is molting.

It can be worrisome to think of them molting midwinter, but for the most part, they don't molt _so _many feathers that they would have trouble in the cold. Some do have extreme molts and end up with naked patches, and those might have some issues with the cold, but cooler temperatures also tend to encourage them to grow those feathers in faster, so as long as you keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't getting too cold, they should be just fine.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Some breeds are continuous molters that lose a few feathers at a time all year long, but never get a patchy look. My serama are such a breed. My Phoenix do molt heavily, so when they molt it is obvious.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> I don’t always remember what I read, but I think I read that they typically molt once a year after they get adult feathers, usually in the late summer or fall. I think it varies by type of chicken too.
> 
> There are a lot of feather in my yard too, but a lot of them look like turkey feathers, so I don’t know. The white mama chicken is obviously molting because she looks sparsely feathered and the pen is full of white feathers. She isn’t acting sick in any other way, so I assume it is a molt. She needed it the most too because she had some damaged feathers from our old rooster and from crunching her tail against the side of the nesting box.


I see, ok because that's what I thought, I had a feeling it was once a year, seems to much to be every season. 

Oh I hope she isn't sick I assume she is molting also, no signs of sickness but losing feathers just sounds like a molt so I'm sure their is nothing to worry over.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> I see, ok because that's what I thought, I had a feeling it was once a year, seems to much to be every season.
> 
> Oh I hope she isn't sick I assume she is molting also, no signs of sickness but losing feathers just sounds like a molt so I'm sure their is nothing to worry over.


She kinda looks like a mom who hasn’t had her stiff cup of coffee yet!


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> She kinda looks like a mom who hasn’t had her stiff cup of coffee yet!
> View attachment 42612


Haha, She's beautiful! What breed is she again?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> Haha, She's beautiful! What breed is she again?


Thanks! Not sure on the breed. I think someone told me once, but I forgot. She came in my barnyard mix batch.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! Not sure on the breed. I think someone told me once, but I forgot. She came in my barnyard mix batch.


Wow, she's gorgeous!


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> Wow, she's gorgeous!


Thanks! She is an extremely gentle and great hen. Lays eggs like crazy! I picked her up today and it looks like she is getting some pin feathers, so hopefully she will be all feathered again soon. Poor girl. 

This is the closest breed I could find that she looks like when she is all feathered out.


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! She is an extremely gentle and great hen. Lays eggs like crazy! I picked her up today and it looks like she is getting some pin feathers, so hopefully she will be all feathered again soon. Poor girl.
> 
> This is the closest breed I could find that she looks like when she is all feathered out.
> View attachment 42618


WHAAA? There is a such thing a WHITE australorp?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

chickenpersoon said:


> WHAAA? There is a such thing a WHITE australorp?


I guess so…? That picture was just from a list of white chickens I was looking at. But when I actually search for white Australorp the pictures that show up have a different look.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! She is an extremely gentle and great hen. Lays eggs like crazy! I picked her up today and it looks like she is getting some pin feathers, so hopefully she will be all feathered again soon. Poor girl.
> 
> This is the closest breed I could find that she looks like when she is all feathered out.
> View attachment 42618


Wow, must be a white australorp then, she looks just like the one in the picture. Are orphingtons and australorps related? I'm reading something in the bottom of the picture saying that they are. Unless I'm reading it wrong..


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! She is an extremely gentle and great hen. Lays eggs like crazy! I picked her up today and it looks like she is getting some pin feathers, so hopefully she will be all feathered again soon. Poor girl.
> 
> 
> > ="
> > Sorry posted accidently twice so I had to edit this post and remove the other one.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> Wow, must be a white australorp then, she looks just like the one in the picture. Are orphingtons and australorps related? I'm reading something in the bottom of the picture saying that they are. Unless I'm reading it wrong..


It looks like they are according to that site. I am mostly clueless when it comes to chicken breeds. Here’s the link to that list. 








8 Beautiful White Chicken Breeds


Chickens come in colors like black, white, red, and many more. In this article, we will be discussing chicken breeds with white plumage.




farmhouseguide.com


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> It looks like they are according to that site. I am mostly clueless when it comes to chicken breeds. Here’s the link to that list.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you!


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> I guess so…? That picture was just from a list of white chickens I was looking at. But when I actually search for white Australorp the pictures that show up have a different look.


my world is altered :/


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

chickenpersoon said:


> my world is altered :/


How so?


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## HSJ07 (Aug 25, 2020)

Animals45 said:


> Usually my field will be filled with feathers.
> Literally you can't even see the grass it's all just feathers. Do they molt every season? Like spring, summer, fall and winter? Or just once a year?
> Cause usually I don't pay much attention to that stuff.


I think my chickens are molting because there are lots of feathers in my run and egg production has slowed down. I was getting 5 or 6 each day but now 3 or 4. I have 6 laying hens. The odd thing is too look at my chickens, you can't tell anything different. They don't look any different but there feathers are on the ground. How long does this last?


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> How so?


That white australorp....... life will never be the same... 🤣


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

danathome said:


> Some breeds are continuous molters that lose a few feathers at a time all year long, but never get a patchy look. My serama are such a breed. My Phoenix do molt heavily, so when they molt it is obvious.


I didn't realize some breeds were continuous molters, thanks for pointing that out! I don't have any Seramas, but I hope I can get my hands on some silkied ones some day! 😍






ChickenMom24 said:


> She kinda looks like a mom who hasn’t had her stiff cup of coffee yet!


Awww, the dear! She does have quite the look, doesn't she?  

So, she's not a White Australorp as that breed has slate-colored legs regardless of the variety and she does not. It looks to me like she has yellow skin that has faded, which can occur naturally over a laying cycle, especially in white hens and hens who lay a lot of eggs, so that would most likely make her a White Plymouth Rock.







Animals45 said:


> Wow, must be a white australorp then, she looks just like the one in the picture. Are orphingtons and australorps related? I'm reading something in the bottom of the picture saying that they are. Unless I'm reading it wrong..


Yes, Australorps and Orpingtons are related, in fact!  The Australorp started out as the Australian Orpington (note the underlined portions), bred for utility from Black Orpingtons that were imported from England to Australia.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> Awww, the dear! She does have quite the look, doesn't she?
> 
> So, she's not a White Australorp as that breed has slate-colored legs regardless of the variety and she does not. It looks to me like she has yellow skin that has faded, which can occur naturally over a laying cycle, especially in white hens and hens who lay a lot of eggs, so that would most likely make her a White Plymouth Rock.


Yeah, poor thing doesn’t even have much of a tail right now, but the new feathers are coming in already, so it shouldn’t be too much longer, I hope!

I don’t know if she is an Astralorp or not, but all the pictures of White Plymouth Rocks have yellow legs, and she has never had any shade of yellow on her legs. At this point in time I think several of my chickens are just mixed anomalies, and I am just thankful they are so cool!


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

Oh, interesting, I'd assumed that her legs and beak were yellow and had just faded. 🤔 If her legs and beak have _never_ been yellow, though, then some sort of mix is possible. That or a White Orpington, but I'm not sure how common those are. Where did you get her?


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> I didn't realize some breeds were continuous molters, thanks for pointing that out! I don't have any Seramas, but I hope I can get my hands on some silkied ones some day! 😍
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh ok I see, wow!


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> Oh, interesting, I'd assumed that her legs and beak were yellow and had just faded. 🤔 If her legs and beak have _never_ been yellow, though, then some sort of mix is possible. That or a White Orpington, but I'm not sure how common those are. Where did you get her?


I bought her with my other hens from a lady that lives near me. She just had a brooder full of mixed chicks.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Post molt makeover—-Looking all spiffed and silky white again!!


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

She's beautiful! Love how clean and white she is!


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> She's beautiful! Love how clean and white she is!


Thanks! I can’t quit looking at her! White feathers show wear the most, so she had been looking so raggedy for a while.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! I can’t quit looking at her! White feathers show wear the most, so she had been looking so raggedy for a while.


I used to have a white rock who had beautiful white feathers but she just never stayed cleaned, she either had dirt or poop on her.


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

She looks so lovely! ❤ Must be the kids have gone off to college now?


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> She looks so lovely! ❤ Must be the kids have gone off to college now?


Haha, maybe.😆


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

I have a chook finished moulting looks super amazing


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> She kinda looks like a mom who hasn’t had her stiff cup of coffee yet!
> View attachment 42612


Haha, bless her. That me perminantly 7 years later


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