Well, I can only assume my chickens have moulted, or maybe they’re still moulting a bit. The evidence isn’t as overwhelming as I anticipated. Over the past couple of months, we’ve found a few feathers every day in the garden and where they roost at night, which isn’t normal. Plus all three of my chooks took a time-out from laying, but only about 4 or 5 days each. And they looked a bit thread-bear around the head and neck. But otherwise, autumn is progressing like any other season in my chicken-coop.
Recently I’ve noticed some funny looking feathers – especially on Rosy, especially where she was showing more skin than normal. They are white-tipped and I’m thinking this is the end result of moulting – she’s growing her new, winter feathers.
I wonder if their moults were so mild because of the climate here, their age, or the breed. It doesn’t really matter, I’m just thankful my girls didn’t get nearly-naked like some I’ve seen and they didn’t stop laying.
Rosie’s new feathers forming a mini-mane around the side of her neck
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
sounds like you got off easy. 😉 I wonder what my girls are gonna look like next autumn…
I’ve seen some really ugly birds but I think that’s mainly when they get old – they start running out of juice. I hope yours stay beautiful the whole year round.
I would like to have chickens and I am following your posts to gather information from your experiences. I really appreciate your posts.
Thanks. I hope my posts give you some idea about how easy, fun and just a little annoying chickens can be. They are not simply egg machines in the back garden – though I suppose many people could treat them that way – but they’re adorable pets as well.
That is a great molt! I wish we had it that easy. Glad you are back in eggs again so quickly.
I am not even sure how much the moult had to do with the lack of eggs. It coincided with the new cat visiting our back garden and I never was sure if an egg didn’t get laid because of a fright my chook got or a few feathers falling out. Such good layers – such good girls!