Most of my hens from my spring'04 hatch are moulting now as well.

We have 2 White leghorns, 2 Barred Rocks, and 1 Austrolorp. One of our white ones is Betty, who couldn't get along with the others and so was turned loose in the yard where she thinks she is the big boss. I put Betty in the shed at night and so she is not as cold as the other white one, Biddy. Biddy has stopped laying and is moulting...the poor thing looks terrible. In fact, after about a week, I began to think it was something other than moulting. Luckily, the day I began to be seriously concerned, I saw that she had begun to grow short feathers all over and no longer looked 'plucked'.
I am wondering if Betty will go through the same process as the weather gets colder.
Are White Leghorns more susceptible to the cold than the darker colored hens?
Will all of the chickens go through this?
I have always wondered about raising chickens in northern areas where there is a full winter with snow.
Do chickens go out in the snow? At what temperature do you have to keep them inside a barn or shed?
The one year we had a brief few hours of snow here in central California we didn't have chickens, so I still don't know how they would react.
Lina.

I have a co-worker that owns Barred Rock Hens and he mentioned to me just last week that his were molting and had slowed down their egg production.

I have several right now that are molting, and different hens do it in different ways, at all different times of the year.

Some slowly lose feathers and regrow them at a steady pace, some molt just their tail feathers (but interestingly, will retain one as a mood indicator which helps convey emotions to other hens and thus avoid fights) and SOME, like my RIR/Americaunas hen, Bear--lose what seems like ALL their feathers at once! *L* Bear is VERY embarassed and we have to constantly tell her how beautiful she is in her current state. She has always molted like this, all at once and dramatically.

Hens also DO NOT want to be picked up or petted while growing new feathers--I can only surmised that it is painful for them. Molting hens will usually suspend egg laying until they are done. Also, while molting, birds will become very quiet and seem depressed--it takes alot of energy to grow those new feathers. Provide lots of good food for an extra energy boost. :)

If you click on my 'My Page' link, there is tons of chicken info there that might help you.

Velvet ~:>

Thank you chicken lady - I feel reassured now. But of course, when something different pops up, I will probably be knocking on your door again.

Can't help being a concerned "ol mother hen" I guess.

Bejay