Molting…it’s getting close to being that time of year ?
If you live up north, it might have already started
Here where I am in Arizona, not quite yet
But you need to be prepared because there’s a couple things you might want to go get at the store
What is molting?
It’s when the chickens lose their feathers to grow new ones
It’ll look like there was a pillow fight in your hen house
There’ll be tons of feathers everywhere
There’ll be no question in your mind that your girls are molting
When they’re molting, they might stop laying ?
That’s because it takes a lot of energy to regrow feathers
So they would put that energy in their body towards growing feathers and not laying eggs
When does molting happen?
It typically happens for the first time when they are 18 months old
If you get fall chicks, then it won’t happen that first winter, it’ll happen the following winter
If you get spring chicks, it might/might not happen that first winter, it’ll definitely happen the following winter ⛄️
It’s usually about 18 months out when they go through a full molt
After they have their adult full-grown feathers
So what triggers it?
Actually, the trigger to start molting is the winter days ❄️
The colder temperatures, the shorter daylight hours are the things that actually trigger it
It’s just a natural thing in their body that it recognizes it’s time
It takes about 8 to 12 weeks to go completely through a molt
From the time that they start to lose their feathers
Till they get all their new feathers back
Don’t be surprised if you’ve got a hen that goes completely bald ?
I haven’t had one get that bad yet but I have seen it
They could lose every feather they have
Don’t let it freak you out, don’t worry about it, they will grow back
You’ll start to see the pin feathers come back in similar to when they were babies
Don’t pick them up so much when they’ve got those pin feathers coming in
Even if they’re a lovable pet ?
The pin feathers are uncomfortable for them
It just might not feel so great to be held while that’s happening
What can you do to help them get through their molt?
Well, provide them extra protein
And there’s several ways to do that
Give them mealworm treats ?
Give them crickets ?
Give them bugs
Give them Grubblies
You can buy all kinds of freeze-dried treats at the tack shops
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds ?
They really like those
You could just give it to them whole, shell and all, and they’ll pick it apart
Look around on the internet at the various molting cake recipes ?
I’ve actually got a favorite molting cake recipe that I use for my flock
That’s a really good thing to do if you want to give them a treat for a couple months
I probably go through 2 to 3 recipes in a molting season…
… it depends on how many girls you have and how much you have to give them
What is this molting thing all about?
Quick review…
Does your henhouse look like somebody had a pillow fight when you know there wasn’t a pillow in there?
Just do what you can to keep them comfortable
Provide extra protein to help feather production
It will take 8 to 12 weeks for them to get through their molting
Then they’ll be back to normal with new shiny feathers
I hope it was valuable and helpful for you
Remember … Be The Organic U – Feed Your Soul
#BeTheOrganicU #organic #homestead #sustainability #agriculture #coops #farming #gardening #chickens #backyard #eggs #farmlife #homesteading #permaculture
