[Mammyshaz]

I'm after a bit of advice. I've had hens af different breeds and hybrids for a few years and have seen a few seasons of moult in girls in the second and subsequent winters but not the first.
We hatched Marans last spring but only two of the six have layed since autumn. Now the other four are starting but one of the early layers stopped laying and lost her neck feathers over the last couple of weeks. They are growing back and I haven't seen mites or lice ( but will keep looking!). Could she have stopped laying to moult in her first year?? I haven't had this before and all my older girls moulted back in November/December and are coming back into lay now.
if not Im going to need to do some serious investigating 

Any ideas peeps 

[HesterF]

Not sure about the feather loss, but isn't it fairly normal for lots of hens to stop laying through the winter? Mine have all moulted at different times, some came back into lay before winter but then stopped again, some just stopped to moult and stayed stopped (if you see what I mean) for winter and some young ones started laying just in time to get me through the winter months. But I've never had a hen moult in her first winter....doesn't mean it doesn't happen but I think it's normally the end of their second season.

[waddy]

One of my Wyandottes hatched last spring is definitely moulting. Nothing wrong with her and she is still laying an occasional egg. The moult is not too heavy apart from her back end but she could have picked a better time to lose some of her duvet!


Helen

[bigchicken]

I believe that young hens can go through a partial moult,  read it somewhere.

[Mammyshaz]

Looks like she's probably moulting in her first year, thanks . I'll not worry and stop ruining her dignity searching for crawlies 

[Stereo]

Yes, have seen this before and no long term problems. Sometimes can be brought on by stress so consider whether they have clean water, feed and dry housing. If all that is in order then it's just one of those things. Nothing to worry about.