another molting question

[frenchhazel]

I believe my girls are molting. I am finding feathers everywhere(mine free range) so there all over. They are losing feathers on the neck, wings more then anything. Is that what molting is. My chickens are alittle over a year. I am down to a couple eggs a day out of nine hens. When will my egg production pic up again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I find these two links together give real good info on molting. They should answer your questions.

Mississippi State describes molting
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

Kansas State feather loss
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf

 

[scooter147]

hens generally don't lay during their molt, they are diverting the nutrition and energy to producing new feathers and not eggs. They will lay once they are done.
I feed mine a few handfulls of dry cat food during the molt, it is 30% protien and seems to speed the process up.

Have several in my flock that are molting as well, it seems a little early to me.