Moulting chook!

Well after struggling to get one of my hens to snap out of her broody phase and then looking forward to her laying again (she's a Maran and these are my favourite eggs) she's now going through a moult!

You should see the feathers! I could stuff a pillow or 2 with the amount she's dropped. It's nice to see all the new one's coming through now though.

They look so ugly dont they,but im sure by now all her feathers have come back and she looks gorgeous again.
flump

Hey Flump!

She's now looking gorgeous and seems to have more pattern in her feathers. All she needs now are some tail feathers and she looks really peculiar without a tail.

She now has the nickname 'Nora no tail' which is said in a League Of Gentlemen stylee!

Some of my other hens have decided to moult...they timed it perfectly with the cold weather. Me thinks I'll be knitting some scarves and woolly hats for them!

Hiya cheeky
Glad she's looking fine now,me and my husband hav many a joke over the chooks,stupid thinga like they need umberellas and wellies when they are in the rain etc.I just need to get them through the winter to know i have done everything right in keeping them warm etc.
flump

4 of ours are looking very bare and odd, not sure if it's moult, pecking or boredom pulling.
Several look like turkeys because of the bare neck

How long does it take for the feathers to grow back again?
I shall have to knit them woolly jumpers if they don't start soon.

Hey Ronny!

It depends if they have developed a feather plucking habit or not, some do it out of boredom and sometimes continue to do it even when they're brought into a better living environment.

Hopefully they should begin to produce new feathers within the next 4 weeks. Increase the protein and calcium intake in their diet as this helps with feather growth.

If you notice that they are plucking, you can spray them with anti-peck spray but if they persist there's a ultra strong product with I believe is pretty much 100% effective but stinks to high heaven. It's called Ukadex and be warned if you choose to use this wear old clothes and a shower cap!! I have a hen which we got from a farm and she had a bald neck, tummy, head and bum, both she and the others feather pecked her so the normal anti-peck spray didn't really work but this Ukadex is good stuff! She's now pretty much back to her former self!

Let us know how they get on!