Most of the girls are now through the moult. Honey and Topaz were the last two to moult and the only two not quite back to normal.
Honey’s neck feathers are back in.
Honey was the last to start her moult and she looked the worst. Her neck is almost back to normal and she just needs her tail to grow back.
Topaz is just about back to normal
Peaches
Barley
These two are almost back to normal. Usually I can tell Barley at a glance because her comb is bigger than Peaches but since the moult their combs have shrunk and they are much harder to tell apart. I now have to look at which way their combs flop with Peaches to the left and Barley to the right. Barley was the last of the two to lose her tail and it isn’t as full a fan yet as Peaches tail is.
Emerald
Emerald was the first to moult and has been back to normal for some time.
Toffee
Toffee was second to moult and is also looking great now.
Speckles
Speckles is looking good and has her tail back to it’s former glory. She has more white on her now but has still retained the little tuft on her head.
Butterscotch
I think Butterscotch only had a partial moult which may have been triggered by her broody spell. She has never really looked different and the feathers have stopped dropping except for the odd one or two. She has now laid twenty eggs since she resumed laying after her broody spell which equals the twenty she laid before going broody. I am waiting with baited breath to see if she continues to lay or goes broody again.
It is so nice to see the girls all fully feathered again apart from Honey’s tail which I am sure won’t take too much longer. It is also lovely to have Butterscotch’s eggs which are giving us our weekend breakfasts.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
They are looking good. I was surprised when I saw peaches and barley last how small their combs were , not a bit like the beautiful style they used to be.
It is amazing how much their combs change during the moult. I can’t wait to see their combs lovely and red and big again. It will be lovely to have eggs again too. It is much quieter in winter though. No shouting about who has which nest box and no Topaz following the girls and trying to sit on their eggs. Winter gives me a different set of girls in many ways.
It’s good when they’re through it and they look good as a flock. Some seem to come through much more quickly than others; 2 of mine have just stated this past week and both look desperate. And Dart? Still no moult. Still laying. Still dropping eggs anywhere outside!
Goodness, that is late to start their moult. And Dart, what can I say, she is unique!