Molting is nature’s way of shedding feathers and furnishing new ones for the entire body. Thus, feathers lost or injured the preceding year are replenished, and a perfect coat is insured for the coming year. An imperfect molt indicates an unhealthy condition which will reduce the pigeon’s efficiency and result in the breeding of inferior offspring.
a. Time of molt. Every pigeon should molt once a year. Mated pigeons start molting approximately 1 week after the second set of eggs has been laid in the new season. Unmated old pigeons ordinarily begin molting in May or June. The time young birds molt depends primarily on the date of hatch. Those hatched during the early part of July begin with head and neck feathers very soon after leaving the nest, and later during the year partially molt all feathers. The process is completed the following summer. Various influences hasten or retard molting. For example, exceptionally warm weather may hasten it. Poor health retards and may prevent a complete molt. Early breeding ordinarily hastens the process, while late breeding tends to delay it.
Figure 5. Tail feathers of homing pigeon.
b. Order of molt. Feathers are shed in the following order (see [par. 16] and [fig. 1]):
(1) Primary flight No. 1 is shed first, and new feathers begin to grow in its place.
(2) As soon as new feathers are one-half to three-quarters grown, remaining primary flights are shed in numerical order.
(3) When flights Nos. 5 or 6 have been shed, molt spreads to neck and shoulders.
(4) By the time flights Nos. 6 or 7 have been shed, the tail-molt begins with feathers No. 2 ([fig. 8]), then continues in the following numerical order: 1, 3, 4, 6, and 5.