Molting
Let’s Talk Molting. It’s that time of year where most poultry goes through a molt process. Molting is when a bird loses its oldest feathers, dulled feathers and broken feathers, and replaced them with new healthy ones.
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The molt process typically starts in the fall, when the days get cooler and daylight becomes less. This triggers a natural instinct in poultry to start their molt process. A molt can last anywhere from 3-16 weeks. Generally your best layers will have the quickest molts, while older birds will take the longest. Not everyone will start at the same time either. Generally it’s around the first of October, but some birds might not start until weeks later. Birds under a year old will not molt their first year. Birds will start to lose feathers around their necks first, then their backs and thoughts, and finally their tail feathers last. There is also “soft” molts, where birds seemingly only lose a few feathers, and “hard” molts, where they lose almost all of their feathers. A birds natural instinct for how many feathers need replaced basically dictates this.
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During molting season it is very important to be feeding your flock a high protein diet, as feathers are made up of 85% protein. Their daily feed should have at least 18% protein in it. You can switch their food to a feather fixer mix during molt season for that added protein if you wish. Feeding your chickens “snacks” that are high in protein is also a great way to help speed up the molting process. Treats such as mealworms or fly larva, cat food and black oil sunflower seeds are great additions to their diets. Be sure to feed them snacks later in the day though after they have filled up in their normal feed. You can also add supplements to their water to insure they are getting proper vitamins and other nutrients. Apple Cider Vinegar works well also.
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Odds and Ends: Birds will quit laying eggs during their molt, as they are using every bit of extra protein to grow those feathers back. Sometimes a hen will molt directly after hatching eggs. Hens look pretty sickly already, and their body just naturally starts this process, sometimes not in the fall.
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Hope this answers any questions!
Check out the video below for more info!
https://youtu.be/KM4AzeoT2Q4
