Welcome to this weeks version of @mother2chicks "Fuss & Feathers" Weekly Chicken Gazette Issue #10. Most of you regular readers know the girls so I'll dispense with the introductions this week and get straight to the point.
Blue is a sweet girl and is not molting...yet
It's going to be a single issue for this weeks Gazette...my chickens have begun their first Fall Molt!
Ol Googley Eyes took over my body temporarily at the sight!(courtesy of Hallmark)
I was alarmed at first at the sight of feathers all over the coop floor, it seemed there were so many you could have stuffed a small pillow with them. Had something gotten into the coop and attacked the hens or was someone picking on another hen? I temporarily froze in place and panicked in my head.
Feathers
More feathers
Suddenly it occurred to me that with the shorter days and cooler temperatures it was time for the girls renew their feathers. I had read about "molting" in a book on chickens before the hens arrived last spring. Polly Preparation is my middle name after all. They were right on schedule! Losing feathers and regrowing them is called "molting" and it occurs yearly as the days get shorter during the fall.
In retrospect I noticed a few feathers lying about earlier in the week and they had only been laying 4 eggs, then 2 and I assumed it was hurricane fatigue after "Irma" came through a week or so ago. But alas...the molt had begun!
Broody Brownie is definately molting, so are the leghorns
Molting chickens stop laying eggs
They use this time to build up their reserves. Even though they are not laying, it's very important that chickens continue to have lots of good feed. They need alot of protein along with vitamins, minerals and amino acids to help their skin stay healthy allowing them to develop beautiful new feathers.
Tips during Molting
Keep their feeder full and let them eat whenever they want.
Give them "Save A Chick" powdered electrolytes in their water a few times a week.
Limit their scratch or treats during molt so you don’t dilute the protein content causing them to fill up not wanting to eat the good stuff.
Molting and growing new feathers requires a lot of energy. Did you know feathers are 85% protein! Feeds should contain at least 16% protein or higher. Get a good layer feed.
Reduce stress as much as possible don't add new hens into the flock. Don't suddenly add a rooster! They molt too and can be aggressive or so I have heard.
Don't handle the hens during molt, it is painful for them and increases their stress level.
All chickens have different personalities and some will molt differently
Some lose a few feathers and grow them back in 3 to 4 weeks. Other chickens lose a lot of feathers and will take weeks to grow them back. They will look terrible during this time!
Important: Hens should act normally during their molt, but if they seem sick something else might be going on.
Chickens will lose feathers in a sequence
It can start at their heads and neck area progressing down their back. Then it can progress across the breast and thighs to their tail feathers. One of mine began molting from the fluffy butt area first. The new pinfeathers will grow back following the same sequence they were lost.
All chickens go through the molt and it's just natures way of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.
They will look pitiful and many of us newer homesteaders who raise chickens for fun or profit should be encouraged that nature is taking its course.
They will emerge more beautiful then ever before!
No recipe or shopping this week update this week, not many eggs either.
Stay tuned to @mother2chicks for next weeks Issue #11
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