Why molting chickens

Your chickens can be subdued, sitting off to the side hunched up and shivering if the weather is cold. The fact that they pretty much stop laying eggs too reminds us that winter is the time for rest and regeneration for all living things.

The good news is that once the molt is done they will look very spiffy in their new glossy feathers and will be back to their usual chatty and happy selves. All that remains is for the days to start to lengthen so they can get back to laying those delicious eggs again! Below we have pulled together a list of over chicken breeds.

For each breed we describe their temperament and egg laying ability so you can find your perfect chicken. We have even made a tool to help you find your perfect chicken. The Ayam Cemani is an unusual chicken to say the least. In their homeland they are revered because it is thought they have magical powers! Chicken water cups can make a useful little addition to your coop.

These cups help to reduce wasted water, keep the water clean and best of all, they are economical. There are a few different styles out there including no peck, in line and more. I enjoyed your article. My hens are going though this process right now. I was worried at first. Thank you for all the great advice. Thank you! I thought this was happening, but your article gave us some tips to help our flock through this time. Thank you for all this helpful information!

This the first major molt for our girls and your article has given us a better understanding of why our girls are behaving the way they are. We will be implementing many of your suggestions today.

Our ISA Browns are 18 months old. They are still laying 10 eggs almost every day. Should we be concerned? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Home Health and Care When your chickens start molting it can be quite scary. You may initially mistake this for some dreaded disease sweeping through your flock.

Need something to help? You may also like. Avian Influenza — Guidance for hen keepers Read More ». Share with your flock. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on email Email. Share on whatsapp WhatsApp. Subscribe to Fresh Laid News! First name. Last name. Email address. Sign up. Copyright All rights reserved. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.

Cookie settings Accept. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In favor of protecting herself with a better feather coat, and to allow her body to rest, a hen will slow or stop laying in favor of self-preservation. With that much protein in each feather, we need to make sure that our chickens get some eggstra help during their molts so that they grow protective and strong new feathers!

Here are some tips to help your feathered friends through their little rough patch. There are some cute memes and photos on the internet with chickens in sweaters. Seeing our ragged birds, especially the ones experiencing hard molts , can be heartbreaking. We have to fight the desire to anthropomorphize our birds and avoid putting them in little sweaters.

Regrowing feathers is an uncomfortable process, and their skin is ultra-sensitive with the pin feathers poking out. Each of those little pin feathers are full of nutrient rich blood that nourishes the new feather as it grows. So, handling them too much or forcing them to put on a sweater will be painful and uncomfortable for our sweet little molting chickens.

In fact, our cuddly and friendly chickens may even run away from us if we reach out to touch them. You may find that even your sweetest hens will avoid being near you or other chickens during their molt.

Growing those feathers back out can be quite painful and irritating. Let's pick them up only if absolutely necessary, and make sure our children also know that the kinder thing to do is feed them a healthy snack rather than touching their painful spots accidentally.

A chick starter or grower formula is higher in protein than a regular layer feed. Make sure you also always provide a free-choice source of calcium to your flock every day , especially if you switch to, or supplement, a non-layer formula.

Even if the hens stop laying during their molt, they will still need some supplemental calcium to keep other body functions working as well. Protein-rich snacks are essential for molting chickens, especially if you do not wish to switch their feed. Black Soldier Fly grubs Grubblies are both high in protein, and have 50x more calcium than mealworms. When do chickens molt? Chickens typically go through their first adult molt at approximately 18 months old.

Usually, adult molting occurs in the late summer or fall and the replacement feathers are fully in within eight weeks. As demonstrated by Frida, not all chickens conduct their molts in a conventional manner and will drag out the process upwards of six months. Additionally, new chicken owners should be aware there are two different styles of molting — soft and hard.

A soft molt is when the bird loses some feathers but the effect is such that the untrained eye might not realize that the chicken is losing and replacing feathers. Conversely, a chicken going through a hard molt will suddenly and dramatically lose a vast quantity of feathers giving it a nude appearance.

The most common trigger for molting is a decrease of daylight hours and the end of an egg-laying cycle, which typically coincide with late summer or early fall. However, there are several less innocuous molting causes as well. Physical stress, a lack of water, malnutrition, extreme heat, hatching a clutch of eggs and unusual lighting conditions e.

Sadly, it is common in commercial egg-laying factory farms to force a molt of its flock for efficiency and enhanced egg production.

In order to force a unified molt, the farm withholds any feed from the birds for seven days to stress their bodies into molting. It is a cruel practice that is already outlawed in the United Kingdom. Feathers are comprised of percent protein.