Continued fairy eggs and molting?

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

It’s hot here like 98+ and it’s stressing me hens. They are a year and four months road island reds. I’ve read that stress can cause fairy eggs but I’ve gotten 4 in 2 weeks. Is this normal? The weather is hot and cold every other week, and usually I don’t get any one every couple months. Second could my chickens be molting already? I have found a couple piles of feather from either picking I’m thinking. I’ve had hen rip out chest feathers because they were shrilled and crunchy. And have beautiful regrowth now. Is that going to stay or is their molt over with. (Partial molt at the end of winter)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Stress can cause molting, so that might be the reason you're seeing a molt right now.

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

Stress can cause molting, so that might be the reason you're seeing a molt right now.

Should I switch to a higher protein feed? I did once and I saw huge growth on one hen and little on a few others.

 

[aart]

Depending on where you live.
It's definitely the start of molting season here....funky eggs, feathers all over.

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

Depending on where you live.
It's definitely the start of molting season here....funky eggs, feathers all over.

Mid west the weather is all over the place (100 one week 70’s another week) and the days are slowly getting shorter. They still get about 14 1/2 hours of sun and have been pasture raised their whole life on 1/2 an acre.

 

[aart]

the days are slowly getting shorter. They still get about 14 1/2 hours of sun

They've been getting shorter since June 21st.
Exponentially so......and now about 2 mins a day.
It's not so much the total length of day but the decrease that the birds sense....
..and I imagine the lower angle of the sun.

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

They've been getting shorter since June 21st.
Exponentially so......and now about 2 mins a day.
It's not so much the total length of day but the decrease that the birds sense....
..and I imagine the lower angle of the sun.

For sure should I switch to a all flock feed? The one I bought before had 4% more protein.

 

[aart]

For sure should I switch to a all flock feed? The one I bought before had 4% more protein.

I've always used nothing but a 20% all flock type feed,
with Oyster and crushed egg shell mixed in a separate feeder for the active layers.
I highly recommend it.

 

[AJW62511]

It’s hot here like 98+ and it’s stressing me hens. They are a year and four months road island reds. I’ve read that stress can cause fairy eggs but I’ve gotten 4 in 2 weeks. Is this normal? The weather is hot and cold every other week, and usually I don’t get any one every couple months. Second could my chickens be molting already? I have found a couple piles of feather from either picking I’m thinking. I’ve had hen rip out chest feathers because they were shrilled and crunchy. And have beautiful regrowth now. Is that going to stay or is their molt over with. (Partial molt at the end of winter)

My girls are about the same age and not sure they read the books on how to chicken. They laid all winter here, in PA, then molted in spring and just now looking “normal” again. I have a local poultry vet, so girls perfectly healthy but have their seasons mixed up? I’m curious to see what happens this winter!!

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

I've always used nothing but a 20% all flock type feed,
with Oyster and crushed egg shell mixed in a separate feeder for the active layers.
I highly recommend it.

Will do thank you!