Moulting

is definitely no fun!  I just cleaned out the coop and it is over run with feathers again.  My poor Barred Rocks are half the size they normally are.  When they run across the yard they don't have the big fluffy butts that they did.  I'm sure they will again but for now they look skinny compared to what they did a few months ago.  Sylvie has no tail and all the feathers around her neck are gone and you can see the inch long pin feathers coming in all the way around.  The others aren't as noticeable just thinner.  I did go and buy the Feather Fixer feed so hopefully that will help and I've given them leftover meat and scrambled up some eggs for them.
I should clean the coop now but it is supposed to be drizzly for the next few days and I'm sick so I won't be out in the rain cleaning the coop.  My six new girls are filling in nicely and the Red Star, Lucy, is laying.  We've watched her go in and out of the nest box.  Her egg is darker than the others and was smaller until two days ago when we got a huge one from her.  I've had people call wanting eggs but I haven't had many to spare.  Debbie my friend gets first dibs.  We haven't been using them as often as we were but we will when they start laying again.
I'll go out and make sure they have food, but they should be good since I just filled it a couple of days ago.  The new black rubber water pan has water and the watering system is still on so the buckets are full.  I'm trying the black rubber pan for the freezing in the winter.  I've read that it will unthaw quicker and I still need to look for some ping pong balls to float in it before it does freeze.  I can always put my cookie pan heater under it.