Double chicken moult

[Chadco]

My chickens started moult in the first of june and came out of moult in late August, started laying great, and know it appears that they are moulting again and stopped laying completely. Is this normal. If they moult for another 3 months that would be 6 months out of the year. Any suggestions would be appreciated. ThAnks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I know some chickens go through a neck molt in the spring, some keep laying, other halt for a bit, though I'm not sure why they do, a fall molt is an actual full body molt and they will quit laying during at least part of it, and not lay for a few months.

 

[aart]

My chickens started moult in the first of june and came out of moult in late August, started laying great, and know it appears that they are moulting again and stopped laying completely. Is this normal. If they moult for another 3 months that would be 6 months out of the year. Any suggestions would be appreciated. ThAnks

How old are these birds?
Do you use supplemental lighting for winter laying?

 

[Chadco]

Yes i use lighting, and i have around 25 hens that range in age from 18 to 30 months. All egg laying has stopped completely

 

[RavenBlue]

Have you tried offering them extra protein? Feathers and eggs are both mostly protein.

My entire flock went into a stress induced moult in July due to a house move, egg production dropped from 15 eggs a day to 1 every few days they have supplemental light too. I started offering higher protein snacks and switched from layer feed to chick crumbs to help them grow their new feathers. This helped get them back laying 5 - 8 a day after only 2 weeks and now I noticed that most of the hens combs are reddening up again so have my fingers crossed that some more will return to laying for me soon. I heard that if you don't get them back laying by October that they will take the entire winter off, don't know if its true but I don't want to find out either!

 

[mymilliefleur]

Have the been through a stressful period? If so, that can cause them to molt again.

 

[aart]

Yes i use lighting, and i have around 25 hens that range in age from 18 to 30 months. All egg laying has stopped completely

I use supplemental lighting too and find it does weird things to their molt patterns.

Have you started ramping your lights back up yet for this coming winter?

The spring molt you had could be because they didn't molt last fall?