For the new folks that haven't experienced a molt yet.

[Happy Chooks]

I was just about to post a question regarding molting that I hadnt seen asked, and Happy Chook two pages earlier touched on it. Prolonging light and molt. My question in a nut shell. Does adding longer daylight in winter months to promote laying also inhibit a proper molt? I havent had chickens long enough to have gone thru a full blown molt with them yet. Just curious.

I don't light my coops. Lighting won't keep them from molting, but it can delay it. Molting can be subtle, or it can be a hard molt like in this thread. Some of my birds like to molt in stages - head first, then when those feathers are grown in they lose feathers somewhere else, and so on until they are done. I actually like a hard molt, because they feather in so fast. The BSL hen posted here is already fully feathered again and has been for at least a week. She is now getting her weight back up, but she will probably be back to laying before some of my slow molters.

Hopefully others that do use lighting will add their experience.

 

[RobJones]

The molt is over all the remaining hens are laying again and looking good

 

[eagrbeavr]

Happy Chooks Im just seeing your reply now. Thanks for the info

 

[limited25]

If your birds are 13 weeks old, they are going through a juvenile molt, which is pretty minor. They are getting their adult feathers in. Young cockerels have to practice mating A LOT before they get the hang of it. They also mature much faster than pullets, so there is a time where the pullets aren't agreeable to the mating.

When they go through an adult molt (usually between 12-18 months) the hens avoid the roosters. Both of my roosters are molting right now too, so they probably aren't feeling up to snuff themselves. I usually have enough birds that aren't molting to keep the roosters happy - while the girls that are molting get their new feathers.

Have 4 hens and a rooster, all about a year old. They are kept in a 5x8 coop with 2 runs (one on each side of the coop) which are 8x10 each. I am wondering if we need to build a separate coop for the rooster when they all go into a molt (figuring they won't all molt at the same time but not sure) so they can grow their feathers back in peace? He does chase them and mate them whether they are cooperative or not . Also have one hen that we cannot break from feather pecking even though she has been separated and is wearing peepers. Think she is doing most of her pecking at night and the hen she pecks the most just seems to let her. Aprons don't seem to have been much of a help.

Do we need to plan to make a separate coop for our rooster for when they are molting?

 

[junebuggena]

Have 4 hens and a rooster, all about a year old. They are kept in a 5x8 coop with 2 runs (one on each side of the coop) which are 8x10 each. I am wondering if we need to build a separate coop for the rooster when they all go into a molt (figuring they won't all molt at the same time but not sure) so they can grow their feathers back in peace? He does chase them and mate them whether they are cooperative or not . Also have one hen that we cannot break from feather pecking even though she has been separated and is wearing peepers. Think she is doing most of her pecking at night and the hen she pecks the most just seems to let her. Aprons don't seem to have been much of a help.

Do we need to plan to make a separate coop for our rooster for when they are molting?

No need to separate the rooster. When the hens are molting, they get very grumpy. The rooster will give them a wide berth, if he knows what's good for him.

 

[limited25]

Thanks! I sure hope he knows what's good for him.

 

[trudyg]

Mye girls are getting bare spots on their backs and sides, so I thought roo--but he's losing feathers, too, all his tail feathers are gone. I know I don't have parasites, I've been quite anal about that. My eggs have dropped from 4 -5 /day (for 5 hens) down to 0 -2/day. Several days in a row at 0..... All of them have dried up looking combs and seem very irritable. I see plenty of feathers around, but not a total blow out. They get flockraiser with oyster shell on the side, free range on almost an acre. They get plenty of bugs. I'm in the south, northern alabama, so the weather is mild to hot and we still have plenty of bugs. They get scraps and get all the trimmings and have access to the summer garden remains. 4 were a year old at the end of August, the other 2 are almost 3. I guess I'll find out it's a molt over the next week or so as they lose more feathers, or does someone have something else for me to look for? Ps, I do have neighbors who love them; do you think they're getting snacks I'm not aware of and this could be doing it? We're all old biddies in the 'hood and I think they get their share of crackers when I'm at work. ( I can tell the neighbors to cool it on the snacks,if that's doing it. I just don't know for sure)

 

[aart]

Mye girls are getting bare spots on their backs and sides, so I thought roo--but he's losing feathers, too, all his tail feathers are gone. I know I don't have parasites, I've been quite anal about that. My eggs have dropped from 4 -5 /day (for 5 hens) down to 0 -2/day. Several days in a row at 0..... All of them have dried up looking combs and seem very irritable. I see plenty of feathers around, but not a total blow out. They get flockraiser with oyster shell on the side, free range on almost an acre. They get plenty of bugs. I'm in the south, northern alabama, so the weather is mild to hot and we still have plenty of bugs. They get scraps and get all the trimmings and have access to the summer garden remains. 4 were a year old at the end of August, the other 2 are almost 3. I guess I'll find out it's a molt over the next week or so as they lose more feathers, or does someone have something else for me to look for? Ps, I do have neighbors who love them; do you think they're getting snacks I'm not aware of and this could be doing it? We're all old biddies in the 'hood and I think they get their share of crackers when I'm at work. ( I can tell the neighbors to cool it on the snacks,if that's doing it. I just don't know for sure)

Sounds like molt to me....look closely and you'll probably see new pin feathers coming in.
Handle them very carefully tho......the pin feathers can be 'uncomfortable' for them, and you don't want to break any as they can bleed badly.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mye girls are getting bare spots on their backs and sides, so I thought roo--but he's losing feathers, too, all his tail feathers are gone. I know I don't have parasites, I've been quite anal about that. My eggs have dropped from 4 -5 /day (for 5 hens) down to 0 -2/day. Several days in a row at 0..... All of them have dried up looking combs and seem very irritable. I see plenty of feathers around, but not a total blow out. They get flockraiser with oyster shell on the side, free range on almost an acre. They get plenty of bugs. I'm in the south, northern alabama, so the weather is mild to hot and we still have plenty of bugs. They get scraps and get all the trimmings and have access to the summer garden remains. 4 were a year old at the end of August, the other 2 are almost 3. I guess I'll find out it's a molt over the next week or so as they lose more feathers, or does someone have something else for me to look for? Ps, I do have neighbors who love them; do you think they're getting snacks I'm not aware of and this could be doing it? We're all old biddies in the 'hood and I think they get their share of crackers when I'm at work. ( I can tell the neighbors to cool it on the snacks,if that's doing it. I just don't know for sure)

Yep, sounds like a molt. Heat and/or cold has nothing to do with triggering a molt. Decreasing light is what triggers them to start molting.

 

[ManawaGirl]

Usually a full molt takes around 4 weeks, but some breeds' molts can take a few months. Chickens molt once when they're babies, again as juveniles, and then the first true molt happens around their 2nd year. I have 8 hens that turned 4 years old March 2016, and three of them are experiencing molt again. (2 RIRs and 1 White Orp). Give them a higher percentage protein in their feed. I like gamebird feed which is 27% protein mixed with their regular Layena pellets. Or you can do a Feather Fixer mixed with their regular feed. It gives them a little extra boost to help get thru the stress that molting puts on their bodies. Good luck!