Chickens approaching egg laying age but seem to be losing feathers on the daily

[new2chickens13]

I bought chicks at the beginning of March and they ranged from 4 days to almost 9 days old. We are now approaching 18-19 weeks old and I've read so many different things on when they lay their first egg. Some say as early as 17 weeks and as late as 23 weeks. I have several different breeds ( Ameraucanas, Brown Leg Horns, Amber Sex Links, Cuckoo Marans, Laced Wynadottes, Opringtons, and Black Astrulops). I have started to transition them to a layer feed this week slowly, but for about a month there seems to be a lot of feathers in the coop and run. Is this normal? They are not really fighting, no bald spots at all and all seem to be healthy otherwise. Is this something that will effect their egg laying? They were on purina flock raiser since we bought them and now on an organic layer feed. First time raising chickens, any insight would be great!

 

[chickens really]

That's the juvenile molt so don't worry they are maturing.

 

[new2chickens13]

That's the juvenile molt so don't worry they are maturing.

Thank you!!

 

[chickens really]

Oh also don't feed a layer till actually laying eggs..

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there welcome to BYC!

I NEVER switch from the purina flock raiser.. I just offer oyster shell free choice on the side.

What you hear about laying range was almost accurate... it can actually range from a little earlier than your stated ages or a LOT later, even 9+ months. It will vary by individual according to their genetics, even among the same breed from the same line... in addition to day light hours and nutrition. So many things impact laying age... # 1 is genetics.

Regarding the feathers... they can go through a lot of mini molts to get in their mature feathers. This usually does not include balding. It ALWAYS a good idea to check your birds after dark with a flashlight at least once monthly. Parting feathers down to the skin below the vent and on abdomen looking for creepy's running away. It can give a MUCH clearer picture than day time inspection.

For what it's worth... 16% protein in most layer feeds is the MINIMUM amount for liught bodied layers like leghorn. Breeds like Marans, Wyandotte, and Orp will do best on at least 18% protein. And 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates... which to me says more nutrition in the eggs my family is consuming. Also my birds don't seem to molt as hard and recover quicker returning to lay. Having more nutrients on board starts them off in a better place.

 

[Bantambird]

Young birds go through a lot of partial molts while growing up, so it's normal to see feathers in the run. They shed them like we shed old hair too, so unless you see bald spots or a lethargic bird, I'd say they are likely fine. As to knowing when a pullet is going to start laying, there are several physical signs to watch out for: swelling of cobs and wattles, and reddening of Combs and wattles. This is the big visual cue to the other birds in the flock that this pullet is reaching sexual maturity, and roosters will actively seeking hens and pullets with red Combs over pink ones. Pick up your pullets and feel their pubic bones, located to either side of the vent. You should be able to fit two knuckles between the pubic bones and they should feel slightly flexible so an egg can pass through. Narrow, not flexible pubic bones means no eggs. Sometimes these signs start several weeks before laying, but they are big signals that laying is imminent.

 

[so lucky]

Welcome, @new2chickens13 ! Are your girls showing signs of being ready to start laying? Their combs get redder, and they often spend a lot of time in and out of the nest boxes. Mine started squatting when I approached, as well. And started practicing their egg song. It is so exciting to get that first egg! If I remember correctly, one of my previous flock started laying (sporadically) at 16 weeks, so get ready!

 

[new2chickens13]

Hi there welcome to BYC!

I NEVER switch from the purina flock raiser.. I just offer oyster shell free choice on the side.

What you hear about laying range was almost accurate... it can actually range from a little earlier than your stated ages or a LOT later, even 9+ months. It will vary by individual according to their genetics, even among the same breed from the same line... in addition to day light hours and nutrition. So many things impact laying age... # 1 is genetics.

Regarding the feathers... they can go through a lot of mini molts to get in their mature feathers. This usually does not include balding. It ALWAYS a good idea to check your birds after dark with a flashlight at least once monthly. Parting feathers down to the skin below the vent and on abdomen looking for creepy's running away. It can give a MUCH clearer picture than day time inspection.

For what it's worth... 16% protein in most layer feeds is the MINIMUM amount for liught bodied layers like leghorn. Breeds like Marans, Wyandotte, and Orp will do best on at least 18% protein. And 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates... which to me says more nutrition in the eggs my family is consuming. Also my birds don't seem to molt as hard and recover quicker returning to lay. Having more nutrients on board starts them off in a better place.

Thank you!! The feed I have is 17% protein, I will look into something with more. I have checked to make sure there wasn't anything bothering them at night. you gave me a lot of good information. Thank you so much!!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I bought chicks at the beginning of March and they ranged from 4 days to almost 9 days old. We are now approaching 18-19 weeks old and I've read so many different things on when they lay their first egg. Some say as early as 17 weeks and as late as 23 weeks. I have several different breeds ( Ameraucanas, Brown Leg Horns, Amber Sex Links, Cuckoo Marans, Laced Wynadottes, Opringtons, and Black Astrulops). I have started to transition them to a layer feed this week slowly, but for about a month there seems to be a lot of feathers in the coop and run. Is this normal? They are not really fighting, no bald spots at all and all seem to be healthy otherwise. Is this something that will effect their egg laying? They were on purina flock raiser since we bought them and now on an organic layer feed. First time raising chickens, any insight would be great!

They start to squat when you walk by and also their combs and wattles turn really red. If yours are going through a juvenile molt, I don’t think they will start laying for two or three more months yet. I don’t think it’s a good idea to start them on layer feed until they actually start to lay, because it can damage their kidneys and predispose them to gout.

 

[new2chickens13]

Thank you!! The feed I have is 17% protein, I will look into something with more. I have checked to make sure there wasn't anything bothering them at night. you gave me a lot of good information. Thank you so much!!

Hi there welcome to BYC!

I NEVER switch from the purina flock raiser.. I just offer oyster shell free choice on the side.

What you hear about laying range was almost accurate... it can actually range from a little earlier than your stated ages or a LOT later, even 9+ months. It will vary by individual according to their genetics, even among the same breed from the same line... in addition to day light hours and nutrition. So many things impact laying age... # 1 is genetics.

Regarding the feathers... they can go through a lot of mini molts to get in their mature feathers. This usually does not include balding. It ALWAYS a good idea to check your birds after dark with a flashlight at least once monthly. Parting feathers down to the skin below the vent and on abdomen looking for creepy's running away. It can give a MUCH clearer picture than day time inspection.

For what it's worth... 16% protein in most layer feeds is the MINIMUM amount for liught bodied layers like leghorn. Breeds like Marans, Wyandotte, and Orp will do best on at least 18% protein. And 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates... which to me says more nutrition in the eggs my family is consuming. Also my birds don't seem to molt as hard and recover quicker returning to lay. Having more nutrients on board starts them off in a better place.

Also I have read mixed information about when to start them on layer feed. Some say first egg, some say first egg or 18 weeks whichever comes first and it's best to transition them correct?