So pitiful

Molt

This picture really does not show how pitiful Dixie was while she was molting. Now that the big girls are about a year and 1/2 old, they are beginning to molt. Dixie had a hard molt - and over night lost most of her feathers. The run looked like someone had had a pillow fight! Hers are now growing back in and she looks beautiful again. Her feathers had been looking pretty dingy, even after a bath, so she was due some fresh ones!!! Now Penny is in full hard molt. 

When they are in molt they do not lay eggs - which means I have a bunch of free-loaders back there!!! I think this winter I am going to put lights in the coop so they will keep laying more regularly through the winter.

FINALLY

It has been a long road getting the little girls adjusted with the big girls. They have been fine during the day - but at night the little girls would not go into the coop to sleep. For several nights I physically put them in the coop when I would go out after dark to lock up - and then when they started to regularly roost on a bar IN the run, I decided it wasn't worth making them go in the coop. They were locked up and safe inside the run at night, so I let them stay outside. TONIGHT was the first night I went to lock them up and EVERYONE was inside the coop!!! Fall has finally arrived, and I wonder if they decided they were cold and it was silly to sleep outside when they could be cozy in the coop! Either way, I am glad everyone is now sleeping happily in the coop.