My youngsters have been moulting as normal up until about three weeks ago when they really started falling apart. I would normally be able to get through the whole of the young bird season with my natural youngsters even though they would be a bit short around the head. This year I have stopped them for the last two races. The last one is this weekend but I won’t be sending. They had 6 races so had a bit of experience. They only have one or two flights to go and short of covert feathers.
I don’t know whether it has anything to do with the long hot summer. The days were long, the evenings and mornings were clear and bright. Now the days seem to have shortened quickly, I know it isn’t any difference in other years in reality. But because it is now cloudy the evenings and mornings are dull and the evenings much shorter. I wonder whether this is causing the birds to moult quickly. I don’t think I have had birds moult so heavy so early before. I know the birds have to be in good condition and healthy to moult heavy so at least mine must be both.
This is one of my widowhood cocks. A five year old.
