[RobinL]

Hi,

Having had our chickens from POL for just over a year now, I'm expecting them to start moulting at some point - but when ?

Some look to be growing new feathers but haven't stopped laying.

We have two Bluebell hybrids, a maran and a sussex - will they moult at different times ?

Thanks in advance.

[joyfull]

at their age they will probably have a partial moult and with these they don't always stop laying 

[carolbriar]

My buff rock hasn't laid for 2 1/2 weeks now as she is moulting.  She is about 14 months old now.  She has lost quite a lot of feathers but not all round.     I feel for her when it is wet and windy as she is obviously feeling the cold a bit.  Am trying to get a proper shelter built for her.

[tesni]

we have a dolly mixture of chickens - a buff orp, a partridge laced cochin both L/F, 2 light buff sussex (bantam size) & several ex-batt hybrids and there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to who moults, how much, when or how laying is affected!  Marilyn the buff orp has looked oven ready & very disreputable now for a fortnight or more  but nobody else has lost more than a few feathers so far.  In three years I've never seen the light buff sussex look less than immaculate.... maybe they have feather wigs!  So your girls will probably do it to suit themselves   

[EJCTM]

last year, my hens decided to have their first proper moult just as the weather turned really nasty and winter set in with a vengeance. Imagine a snow covered garden with a downy covering of discarded feathers. I really felt for them, but they managed fine. this year they moulted right in the middle of summer which was better timing! Once one started to moult, the others seemed to follow suit in the weeks following. Needless to say we were pretty egg-less during the whole of July and August, and I nearly had to buy some (shock horror!). But just couldn't bring myself to do so. They have just come back into laying again now and we are egg-ful again! yay