Are you wondering why there are feathers all over your chicken run or coop? Does it look like someone had a pillow fight in your chicken run? Chicken molting is a natural process of shedding their old feathers and growing fresh, new ones.
You can also see on her head that almost all of the feathers have been lost and are starting new growth through the feather shaft
Let’s discuss chicken molting, and how to help your girls get through it quickly.
When do Chickens Molt
Most chickens will molt at least once per year, in the fall. This predictable, annual molt is to improve their feather coat for cold weather.
Some chickens will molt at other times, too, but these molts are usually when the chicken is undergoing stress. If the hens lack water or food, they may experience molt because their nutritional needs are not being met.
Some broody chickens will molt in the spring. As they sit on the nest, furiously trying to hatch eggs, they may not be eating as much as they normally do. Some chickens pluck out their breast feathers to line the nest, which exacerbates the problem. The good news is that once they come out of molt, either because their eggs have hatched or – in the absence of a rooster, after about a month, they will return to their normal eating routine. And their feathers will return.
Although different breeds go through their annual molt at different times, usually, they all molt at some point in the fall. This is when the number of daylight hours starts to decrease. Chickens are extremely sensitive to light and therefore changing seasons. They are getting ready to grow in new feathers to prepare for the colder temperatures of winter.
Our maran is the first to kick off molting season in September, followed by the Americaunas in early October. Our golden sex-link is usually last to go through molt.
What to Expect During Chicken Molting
Sometimes chickens molt in predictable patterns, and sometimes it seems they lose feathers in a random pattern. While the feather loss pattern can appear random, when they go into molt is not.
A hen’s very first annual molt will occur at about 16-18 months of age. This first molt is often a hen’s longest, and can last 8 weeks or more. There is a huge variance in length of molt among breeds. Molting for our older Americaunas usually only lasts about 4-6 weeks, but on some younger hen breeds could last as long as 12 weeks.
Because producing feathers takes a huge amount of protein, this period places an enormous demand on a hen’s nutritional stores. Most breeds are unable to both produce feathers and eggs at the same time. As a result, egg production is likely to slow or stop altogether during molt.
How You Can help your Chickens get through Molting
First of all, don’t pick your molting chicken up if you can help it. When new feathers come in, it can be quite painful for chickens. You’ll hear them squawk when you do try to pick them up, and sometimes even when you just get near them. The emerging feathers are called pin feathers, and they contain a blood supply to help them grow. Definitely avoid touching these pin feathers, because not only are they painful to the bird, but if broken, they could bleed and become a target for other pecking hens.
Next, try switching their food to a higher protein blend. The molting process takes a lot of protein, so you can help your girls generate the protein they need by temporarily switching to something called “feather fixer” during this time. Normal chicken food is about 16% protein, but feather fixer blends have 18% or 20% protein. We’ve noticed that the enhanced diet helps them grow feathers faster and come out of molt more quickly. If you can’t find feather fixer, a starter/grower feed also has a higher protein content, and is a suitable alternative during molt.
You can also switch to higher protein treats, too. Instead of cracked corn, which tends not to have much nutritional value, supplement their diet with sunflower seeds, high protein suet and mealworms. Just remember that treats should always be in moderation. Excess protein in a hen’s diet could lead to diarrhea, so steer away from beef or other human protein scraps.
Lastly, don’t introduce any new chickens to your flock during molt. This increases stress among all of your flock, especially existing flock members. But for a molting hen, it could be dangerous if a new hen sees your molting girl as weak. Or a bald spot as a peck target.
Chicken molting
With a few tricks, your hens will be out of molt in no time. Let me know if you have any other tricks to share in the comments below!
