All chickens molt. If you are unfamiliar with this process, it may take you by surprise the first time it happens. It’s unnerving to find feathers all over the ground while chickens with bald spots run around their coop.
You may think you did something wrong. Are your chickens sick? Are they fighting? Are they missing something in their diet?
Molting, while it looks awful, is nothing to worry about. It is natural practice that typically takes place in the fall amongst both hens and roosters. By molting, chickens are preparing for winter and making way for new growth.
What is molting?
Molting is the process of losing and regrowing feathers. Not all chickens molt at the same pace; some slowly lose a few feathers, while others look like they are nearly naked. Typically, molting will start at the head and works its way down to a chicken’s tail feathers.
Molting works when “pin feathers” (also called “blood feathers”) push old plumage out to make room for new growth. In the beginning, it is a painful process for the chicken. They should be handled as little as possible as, when newly developed, the pin feathers have “quills”. These “quills” have nerves. The quills will flake off on around day five. Then, you are free to handle the chicken again to your heart’s content.
Feathers are almost entirely made of keratin, a protein that helps protect skin from damage. Chickens will usually stop laying during this period as their body needs protein to create new feathers and have little left over for eggs.
Why do chickens molt?
When chickens molt, they are preparing themselves for the winter months of cooler weather. By shedding old, damaged feathers, they are making space for new ones which will enable them to stay warm and help retain body heat.
A chicken will also molt when they are stressed. These molts typically last a shorter length of time and they will most likely have a few bald spots – feather loss will be nowhere near a “hard” or fall molt.
Historically, when a chicken molted, they were preparing for mating season. In Asia, smaller bantams bred seasonally and new plumage that was pristine and shiny helped attract a mate.
Do chickens molt during a certain season?
Chickens usually molt in the fall, although this is not the only, exclusive time that it can happen. The time it takes to molt can take anywhere between 2 weeks to 4 months. A lot of it depends on the breed as well as the amount of protein they are consuming. Older chickens will take longer to molt while youngers ones may only molt for a few weeks.
However, if you have a rooster, it may appear that your chickens are “molting” when they are, in fact, being bred. Roosters often dig their claws and spurs into a chicken’s sides while breeding. If certain chickens seem, well, too “used” they do make saddles that you can put on their backs to give them a bit of a break.
Five signs to look for.
It is not hard to tell if a chicken is molting. Just look for the following signs:
- Lack of feathers on the neck, wing, or tail.
They could be missing a few feathers or most of them – the best indicator that a chicken is molting is feather loss.
- Decreased weight.
While they shouldn’t look as though they are starving, a chicken is putting a lot of energy into creating new feathers when they are molting. Their weight will drop, and their feed should include extra protein. Some people will feed their flock cat food or start fermenting grains, such as barley (see How to Start Growing Fodder to Feed Your Livestock).
- Egg production slows or stops.
Most people know that, during the winter, egg production comes to a halt. When a chicken is molting, they will also stop producing eggs as the proteins they are ingesting goes towards making feathers instead.
- There are feathers EVERYWHERE.
This is self-explanatory. When pin feathers develop, they push the old feathers out of a chicken’s skin. We know, when there are feathers all over our chicken yard, we had a predator attack or molting season has begun.
- Comb and wattles start to look dull.
Instead of a brighter red, combs and wattles will turn a paler, pink color. (If your chicken’s wattle or comb is changing colors without feather loss, they could be sick. It is best to contact a vet if this happens).
How to take care of your molting chickens
As previously mentioned, it is best to handle your chickens as little as possible when they first begin molting. Pin feathers can bleed, and any undue pressure on the quills can hurt your chickens.
This is also not a good time to change up their routine. Increased stress can exasperate their molt and make it last longer than it’s normal life cycle. Keep your flock in the same place, feed them at the same time, and don’t introduce any new members just yet. Keep their environment as quiet as possible and they will be back to normal in no time.
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