Moulting hens

Our older hens are going through a moult. Previously we have seen our hens moult in spring. Our younger birds are unaffected by those over two and a half years old seem to be happily losing their feathers and growing new ones. Houdini, one of our copper blacks, in the photos above and below, is our 2nd oldest hen and is over three and a half years old. We got her in October 2011. Like others of a similar age to her, the moult has been quite heavy. Hopefully she has fully grown her new feathers before the cold of winter sets in.