Can I force a moult?

[Tuffoldhen]

http://www.upc-online.org/molting/

Here is another one. I've always been told it just opens up a can of worms worse than a regular molting season.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Some of my girls went thru a "mini-moult" in the 7 to 9 month range, but it didn't stop their egg laying.

I didn't notice a molt then. My birds are almost 11 months now. But I do remember last year they had a mini molt. I received them in September and by about November/December I found a bunch of feathers everywhere.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

There is a Juvenile molt that chicks go thru as they mature where they lose feathers.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
That must have been it.

 

[Freebie]

WOW, just WOW!! Somethings are just awful to know. I could have gone on without clicking on that link, but no... I just had to...
I am glad that I know it now though. Just one more reason to always have my own chickens.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I have been planning ahead and waiting for the moult too. My older flock is now 16 mos. old. I haven't seen anything yet. I have eggs in the freezer so I wont be without when they stop production because of the moult I also hatched out more chicks in Feb. that are laying now.

 

[ivan3]

Just posting this up (abstracts of research conducted from 1902-2002 on induced molting) as there are some good references on the effects of stress in general, and forced molting in particular. For example:

Mondini S (1980). Cannibalism due to earthquake in laying hens after forced moult. [Cannibalismo (da terremoto?) in ovaiole da consumo in muta forzata]. Clinica Veterinaria 103(7): 456-458.
Ist. Allevamenti Zootecnici, Universita, Bologna, Italy
NAL Call Number: 41.8 C61
When a previously successful method was used to induce moult in 7107 hens, 224 (3%) died in the following 10 days as a result of cannibalism. This had not occurred in the 400,000 already treated, the only difference this time being an earth tremor of intensity IV on the Mercalli scale on the day after moult induction.
Descriptors: etiology, disasters, moulting, cannibalism
Copyright

2002, CAB International

From: http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/molting/molting.htm

The above might come in handy if your chooks are locked up tight but the neighbor's dogs aren't (stress usually doesn't come packaged up so neatly and/or `subducted' so randomly).

More to the point. The following article is on research on lighting and ovulation (etc.) in turkey hens, but broad implications of work (chooks/turks/humans): http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/magazine/spring05/night.htm​

 

[dmp015]

"Here's how to force molt: Enclose the birds in the henhouse, and block out all light. Provide water, but no feed, for three days. After that, provide just a bulky feed, such as oats. The birds' feathers will fall out. After two weeks, resume normal feeding. When their new feathers have grown, the birds will resume laying."

This is from The Homesteader's Handbook to Raising Small Livestock

 

[tmpshrty96]

my rooster plucked out all of his long shiny tail feathers...or atleast we think he plucked them out. he is only in a pen with 1 hen that is setting on eggs. could he be moulting????

 

[Warfrost]

Well, some of the commercial "organic" farms "de-beak" their chickens, which makes it impossible to eat- of course, I realize that you are not planning to torture your flock, but it seems the general consensus for forcing a molt is to cut their feed- bit, have you considered the area you are living in? Is it really, really hot like where I am? I have noticed that my friends chickens look a bit more raggedy in the summer. Just a thought=)

Michael