finding lots of feathers?

[ladywithchickens18]

I have a Rhode island red, she is almost a year old, I have been noticing her feathers are falling out and they are all over the yard and there coop, is this normal? it is getting colder in Nevada. I have also noticed I haven't seen any eggs from her in the last week? Does this have to do with the weather changing, but she is still singing the chicken song in the morning and I cant fing eggs anywhere. Thank you.

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if she is molting. Most but not all hens will stop laying while they molt as new feather growth is a demanding process.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Sounds like she's molting. Perfectly normal. They stop laying when that happens.

 

[sourland]

Some people supplement protein levels by providing dry cat food.

 

[fldiver97]

Agree, sounds like she’s molting. She may not lay for a while, growing new feathers takes a lot.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

thank you. will she be done laying till the spring? and is there anything I can do for her for food or just keep going on the layer pellets, I also have 2 Ameraucanas that are still laying though!

That's a goof question about laying. I don't know. Most of mine are doing the same thing, and egg production has plummeted. I hope they start laying again before spring.

When mine molt I supplement with dry cat food (some have up to 40% protein) or move to a higher protein feed (like 20%). The higher protein won't hurt the ones still laying.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Ours are moulting currently too - it’s like a feather explosion in the hen house and we aren’t getting many eggs either. They’re using all that protein to grow those beautiful new feathers and then I’m sure they’ll start up again.

 

[Peggysaurus]

I have a Rhode island red, she is almost a year old, I have been noticing her feathers are falling out and they are all over the yard and there coop, is this normal? it is getting colder in Nevada. I have also noticed I haven't seen any eggs from her in the last week? Does this have to do with the weather changing, but she is still singing the chicken song in the morning and I cant fing eggs anywhere. Thank you.

These are definite signs that she is molting. It's normal for any chicken and it usually lasts from a couple of weeks to a few months. When my chickens started their annual molt (they just finished a few weeks ago) their egg production drastically went down, they started to eat and drink less, and there were lots of feathers all over the coop. I hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. K]

The daylight is also effecting lay, it is getting darker here sooner in the evening, and slower to light back up in the morning. If you add a few pullets each year, they tend to lay through the dark days of winter, but even the old birds will lay occasionally. Mine start laying more actively by the end of January, first part of February.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

and is there anything I can do for her for food or just keep going on the layer pellets, I also have 2 Ameraucanas that are still laying though!

This is part of the reason that many use an 'all flock' type feed(higher protein and less calcium) and supply Oyster Shell in a separate feeder as calcium for the ones still laying.
Having males and chicks in the flock is the rest of the reason.