Do your hens go off their usual feed when they moult?

[Shadrach]

I have 18 chickens of varying ages (and varyibg breeds) from 8 months to 4 years. The 8 month old pullets wont molt this year. But some of the older birds are currently going through really terrible molts: Barred Rock, Orpingtons, Spitzhauben, Naked Neck. My Brahma, Sebright, Silkies, Leghorn, and Cochin all had pretty quick and painless molts. In my experience, some breeds or individual birds just have easier molts.

I find they still eat their feed - just a lot less of it. I have seen tough molts before, but what worries me is that the overall effect on their general health can open the door for illness. It's happened to a few birds over the years. I have taken to supplementing those individuals I know from past experience have the potential to decline during molt. I feed eggs, tuna, or other forms of protein as soon as I see feathers fall. I dose individual birds with vitamins in an effort to stave off illness. Idk if it's made a difference, but I figure it can't hurt.

An observation I had is that my Orpingtons have the absolute worst molts of all my flock.

My Cochin is particularly weird. She has "quieter" molts 2x a year. Maybe it just takes too long to replace alllll those bazillion feathers...

Less of it is still going off their feed especially if it's been less enough for you to notice.
I have yet to come accross a moulting hen that won't eat anything. Most eat less comercial feed and forage more. But, these are ranged chickens. Having access to alternative foodstuffs must make a large difference.

 

[Perris]

Thanks for the link
But
36% of the calories come from protein.
View attachment 3314872

It's made of 12.65% protein

View attachment 3314878

Isn't that the bit that matters? Water is normally ignored in these calculations of nutritional values.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Less of it is still going off their feed especially if it's been less enough for you to notice.
I have yet to come accross a moulting hen that won't eat anything. Most eat less comercial feed and forage more. But, these are ranged chickens. Having access to alternative foodstuffs must make a large difference.

I agree. I often put out other "treats," like Greek yogurt or pumpkin during this time. Here, the plant life is greatly diminished come because of summer conditions. I do what I can to offer variety.

I just put out a Halloween pumpkin, and my lavender Orpington is out there chowing down. She is having the worst molt of all.

I take this into consideration when evaluating their poop, too. They do get diarrhea when having a tough molt. Foods that are higher in water content can also have that effect.

But I'd be lying if I didn't panic a little each fall.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

But I'd be lying if I didn't panic a little each fall.

Same here.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I agree. I often put out other "treats," like Greek yogurt or pumpkin during this time. Here, the plant life is greatly diminished come because of summer conditions. I do what I can to offer variety.

I just put out a Halloween pumpkin, and my lavender Orpington is out there chowing down. She is having the worst molt of all.

I take this into consideration when evaluating their poop, too. They do get diarrhea when having a tough molt. Foods that are higher in water content can also have that effect.

But I'd be lying if I didn't panic a little each fall.

I think we all panic a little…

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Some of mine will eat a little less, but not too noticeable of an amount. Mine are all going through a hard molt right now and I've been very happy with how they are all still energetic for the most part. Mine free range from daylight to just before sundown on 30 acres of fields so they have an endless supply of bugs and field mice. I feed a 20% protein flock raiser all year round. I'm sure I'll catch some flack for this, but I pick up a fresh 4 oz. salmon fillet from our local butcher once a week, chop it into small bite size pieces and that's been the only weekly treat I have been giving them. It costs me $20 a month for the salmon which around here is the price of a bag of "treats" with a bunch of fats and carbs. I also dose with Poultry Cell for both my ducks and chickens when molting.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Lots of my birds are going through a heavy, hard molt this year. First time having so many molt like this, most of mine generally go through a light, or moderate molt. Some will eat less, some will be ravenous.

 

[Sally PB]

Everybody is molting here. The feathers are growing back in, looking beautiful. I know about how much of their regular feed they eat in a day, and it has been less in the last month or so. On some days, noticeably less.

Snack time is their food wetted into a mash. I've added Calf Manna 2-3 times a week. Three times, I've chopped up a small can of salmon and mixed that with their mash. That was a big hit.

 

[BDutch]

13% of human daily requirement according to this https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/171287/wt1
in itself, 36%

Nice tool!
I entered ½ cup of kidney beans as well. This has 13% protein human daily requirement as well.

Ps: I give my chickens dried mealworms as an extra treat during this period. I noticed the intake of regular feed is a bit less during molt.

 

[Perris]

I hadn't considered digestibility as a factor.

recent experience prompts me to return to this; sometimes one or other of my flock can be off their usual feed for other reasons, as now. Something's not right with Sven, and he is ignoring whole grains. It's not wheat as such because he'll happily eat weetabix, it's not the ferment because he'll happily eat yogurt. He'll eat just about anything else easily digestible that I offer him, and he helps himself to the dog's food every time he comes in the utility room and there's any there. So I'm wondering if inflammation in his gut (gizzard?) is his issue. Are pellets designed to be digested quickly or slowly do you know?