- Thread starter
- #41
Less of it is still going off their feed especially if it's been less enough for you to notice.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...
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.