Molting is one of the most natural things to happen in chickens; generally speaking, it occurs in the fall when the weather is just starting to turn. On our little hobby farm, this year is the exception.

I was cleaning the coop on Boxing Day and noticed one of my senior gals, Mama, looking rather ragged. Upon further investigation, I realized she was in full molt mode. Brrr! This is the second year that she has molted in the winter. Last year not being nearly as bad.

Poor old girl, about 60% of her is bald with tufts of old features here and there (and losing more feathers by the day!). Aside from her wings and head, she is pretty much naked.

Temperatures have been abnormally warm here this year. So, I am not overly worried just yet. But if the temp takes a dip, the poor old gal might need a sweater (just kidding, never put clothes on a chicken). I will give her extra love and care during this trying time. 

Molting takes a lot of energy. And extra protein at this time can be helpful. A little tuna snack or some scrambled eggs can do the trick. I will not bring her in or provide man-made heat as it can cause problems later. But I may sneak out and tuck her between two chickens at night so she can reap the benefits of their body heat when the nights get colder.

Hopefully, this process will not take long, and she will be sporting lovely new feathers soon. Until then, I will keep providing snacks to help keep her spirits up.

P.S. I’ve written about this before in For The Times They Are A-Changin’ | Willowfell if you would like to read more on molting.