For the new folks that haven't experienced a molt yet.

[Nofowlplay]

Pics of my poor Barred Rock. she is 16 months old.

 

[vicki5112]

My Black Australorp went through the worst molt this year but she is looking mighty fine now (she hates it when I post pics of her molting ;-) )





Pics before molt

 

[Nofowlplay]

My Black Australorp went through the worst molt this year but she is looking mighty fine now (she hates it when I post pics of her molting ;-) )





Pics before molt

What a beauty! If I add any more to my flock I want a BA and another Ameraucana! Love the black chickens! Of course I love all my girls....the BR, BO and SS too!

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Pics of my poor Barred Rock. she is 16 months old.

My girls have bellies like that, I was putting them I for the night tonight and noticed one of the chickens looked scabby. So I turned her upside down and looked, I can tell if they have mites and are pulling their own feathers out cuz they itch or what. So I went and got some Neosporin, spread it on everyone that had an issue. ON the mites mites mites thread I read one gal bought front line pulse for dogs at cost-co and used that to get rid of mites. I think I am going to try it, the hens look just miserable.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

They need protein for eggs and for feathers so when they are trying to grow new feathers their bodies don't have enough protein to produce eggs also......you can up the protein with a higher protein feed or some type of people food or scraps that contains more protein. I bought a sack of chick starter for my chicks that were hatched the end of November and I started mixing it with the layer mash to up the protein for all the chickens. I thought it wouldn't hurt in the cold and when some were going thru a mild molt. This upped their protein to about 19.5% during the winter. If you lower the amount of layer mash remember to set out oyster shell for them. I wont do this in warmer weather for the hens unless there is some reason to. Also, because you give them extra protein does not mean they will lay eggs during the molt.....but hopefully it will help them thru the molt in good health. This is what I have learned on this site. I don't know if everyone agrees with this but it is what I'm trying.

I agree, I was feeding just scratch n peck with greens on the side. I ended up getting flock raiser, gave only that to them for a week, then mixed 1/2 -1/2 with scratch - n - peck, it help a lot. They really do need more protein. I went from 3 to 5 eggs up to 7 then 8 AND TODAY I got 9 . I have 10 hens.

 

[Nofowlplay]

My girls have bellies like that, I was putting them I for the night tonight and noticed one of the chickens looked scabby. So I turned her upside down and looked, I can tell if they have mites and are pulling their own feathers out cuz they itch or what. So I went and got some Neosporin, spread it on everyone that had an issue. ON the mites mites mites thread I read one gal bought front line pulse for dogs at cost-co and used that to get rid of mites. I think I am going to try it, the hens look just miserable.

Turned out she was molting .! I am feeding the whole flock show bird feed and lots of worms and Boss . Her feathers are growing back now, but she still has a bare place on her poor little behind.! A few weeks to go and hopeful,she will be completely feathered. At least she has some feathers back before this cold snap starts! Going to duct tape cardboard over the front coop window today.

 

[EagleEyes]

I'm one of the ones who has not seen a molt, so the very first post / picture is an eye opener.
Not a pretty picture.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Turned out she was molting .! I am feeding the whole flick show bird feed and lots of worms and Boss . Her feathers are growing back now, but she still has a bare place on her poor little behind.! A few weeks to go and hopeful,she will be completely feathered. At least she has some feathers back before this cold snap starts! Going to duct tape cardboard over the front coop window today.

Ya its hard to tell, I dusted the girls before church yesterday with food grade DE, after church I found this at pet co
Ingredients:
Peppermint oil 0.30%, Eugenol (clove extract) 0.70%, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate 2.7%, Inert ingredients*: 96.3%. *water, sodium benzoate.
I can spray it right on the hens. I think I want to try this, they also make a yard spray. Vet's Best Flea & Tick Yard & Kennel Spray.

Today before spraying I gave 2 hens a bath, and I sprayed 2 we'll see how this goes, still up in the air as to thinking mites / or molting

 

[Nofowlplay]

Ya its hard to tell, I dusted the girls before church yesterday with food grade DE, after church I found this at pet co
Ingredients:
Peppermint oil 0.30%, Eugenol (clove extract) 0.70%, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate 2.7%, Inert ingredients*: 96.3%. *water, sodium benzoate.
I can spray it right on the hens. I think I want to try this, they also make a yard spray. Vet's Best Flea & Tick Yard & Kennel Spray.

Today before spraying I gave 2 hens a bath, and I sprayed 2 we'll see how this goes, still up in the air as to thinking mites / or molting

It is hard to tell! Before I realized she was molting ...I bathed her in the kitchen sink and sprayed her with Poultry Protector....then changed all the coop bedding and dusted with 7 before replacing the bedding. using half Koop Clean and half straw. ....Even if she is bug free....it sure can't hurt anything!

 

[Grandmas Coop]

It is hard to tell! Before I realized she was molting ...I bathed her in the kitchen sink and sprayed her with Poultry Protector....then changed all the coop bedding and dusted with 7 before replacing the bedding. using half Koop Clean and half straw. ....Even if she is bug free....it sure can't hurt anything!

I have been avoiding the use of chemicals epically Seven Dust .