Spring has arrived, and here at Wensleydale Cottage that means our Amberlink chickens (our very best layers) are celebrating their 1st birthday. And in traditional chicken style, they are doing it by molting. Which means all of our egg customers are going to have to wait patiently until our ladies are ready to lay again.
Molting is an important process for chickens; it not only rejuvinates them on the outside, but allows them to strengthen internally and rest from egg laying. They become more disease resistant, and at the end of the process are ready to lay beautiful eggs again.
At 1 year old, this will be our amberlinks’ first true molt (every chick goes through a molt as grow their adult feathers), so we dont know exactly how long it will take and how bizarre they will look! Thus far our ‘worst’ molter is an old lady I call goose for her honk-like cluck; 6 months on she finally has her feathers back! Traditionally, these slow molters would end up in the soup pot; our house is divided on this policy so Goose honks happily on.
Sorry all our loyal egg customers: with just 4 or so eggs a day at the moment we will need you to be patient until our ladies are ready to lay again! We will keep you posted.
1 year ago this month
Wensleydale Cottage Farm 