How to support molting chickens
Photo Caption: Margot, the Wellsummer, went through an ugly molting season. (Journal photo by Lacey Vilhauer.)
It’s fall, and your chicken coop looks like a massacre happened inside with the number of feathers scattered on the floor. If you’re lucky it is just molting season—the ugliest time of year for a chicken owner.
During molting, fluffy hens and handsome roosters go from fluffy feathered butts to looking practically plucked plumage every year. Annual molting is a natural process that occurs in chickens when they are 16-18 months of age and older.
Both hens and roosters will slowly lose their feathers, and new ones will grow. It usually occurs in late summer or fall when the temperature drops, and the days get shorter.
Egg production slows down or stops entirely during this stage in a hen’s life so she can devote her energy and nutrients to producing feathers. Chickens can lose weight during molting or become withdrawn.
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for chickens to regain their plumage. The length of their molt can depend on multiple factors, including age, breed and environment. The process is not the same for every chicken. Some lose every feather, others only lose a few.
What can you do for molting birds?
Molting is hard work and can take a toll on chickens. Feathers are 85% protein, and generating new ones is an intense process. Backyard chicken owners can provide a high protein ration—at least 20%—during this time, that includes healthy fats and vitamins.
Molting can be stressful for chickens; it is advised to maintain a stress-free environment during this time. It is best to refrain from introducing new members of the flock during molting season as it can create anxiety amongst the flock. Often times molting chickens will look for places to hide and feel safe from predators. If you notice them staying in the coop more than normal, this is probably the reason.
The molting process can be painful and make chickens sensitive to handling. Pins feathers are known to bleed if the chicken is injured or handled roughly. Be sure to isolate a bleeding chicken because the rest of the flock could be drawn to the blood and cause more harm.
Since chickens are running around half naked in the middle of molting, it is a good idea to find ways to make the coop warmer and keep them comfy on cold fall nights. However, be mindful to maintain good ventilation. One way to retain heat in the coop is to add straw to the floor.
Molting is a phase every chicken goes through once a year. It’s not pretty, but if hens and roosters have proper support, they can put the molt behind them and strut their new feathers that will keep them warm all winter.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
