How important is molting?

[CoopsNPoops]

My flock is 14 months old. Over the winter, they pretty much stopped laying, but they didn't "molt." Or can they still molt without losing feathers? Is it ok for them not to molt? Should they have molted? Do i need to force a molt? Educate me on molting please.. A little "over the winter" history. I did/do not use artificial lighting. We had a fairly mild winter with only a week or two of freezing temperatures. One straight week of freezing temps/snow/ice, and the rest were random days/nights. They are free range, so they were let out each morning over the winter months as well. They were fed their laying pellets throughout winter though, do i need to do that differently if i don't expect them to lay throughout the winter?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They might have had a soft molt. Usually mine do, and I don't notice as many feathers when They do

 

[CoopsNPoops]

They might have had a soft molt. Usually mine do, and I don't notice as many feathers when They do

When i say they didn't lose their feathers, i meant literally any, lol. What exactly is a soft molt? Do first season layers molt the same compared to their second, third, etc.

 

[All4Eggz]

Usually chickens molt after a year old, every to every other fall.
Molting is pretty important because it allows them to grow new, clean feathers and could help them grow back any bald spots (from roosters) so they can stay warm in the winter.

 

[Acre4Me]

They will likely hard molt late summer or fall. My chicks are usually Feb hatch. Their first winter they usually soft molt-a few feathers but not usually obvious who is losing them. However, this past year, we had some that were 18-19 months old basically become “naked” bc of their hard molt. We have also occasionally had an 11 month old molt obviously in January (Brrr...)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

When i say they didn't lose their feathers, i meant literally any, lol. What exactly is a soft molt? Do first season layers molt the same compared to their second, third, etc.

A soft molt is a gradual molt. They don't just drop all their feathers and look miserable for a few weeks. They just suddenly look nicer than they did a while ago and have new feathers. Sometimes they'll lay a bit during them too

 

[Yardmom]

Many chickens don't have an adult molt until they are at least 18 months old, so yes the first winter is different. Expect the molting this coming fall, but it could be any time. Molting is loosing and growing new feathers. As stated earlier it can happen at different rates. Molting often slows or stops laying. The molt alone would not be long enough to change feeding and different birds will have different timing. Often the birds do not start laying after molting because of short daylight hours. Your choice how to feed.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

I have been noticing a quite of bit black feathers in the coop in the mornings. The black feathers have to be from my black copper morans. Or i have had a sick one who is about recovered. Could an illness cause feather loss? I haven't noticed her looking like she may be the one losing feathers. She also hasn't layed since her illness and a few days before.. Or could it be all of them starting to molt since you mentioned a molt can occur at any time? I'll keep an eye on them more closely for signs.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Many chickens don't have an adult molt until they are at least 18 months old, so yes the first winter is different. Expect the molting this coming fall, but it could be any time. Molting is loosing and growing new feathers. As stated earlier it can happen at different rates. Molting often slows or stops laying. The molt alone would not be long enough to change feeding and different birds will have different timing. Often the birds do not start laying after molting because of short daylight hours. Your choice how to feed.

Thanks. I just didnt know if the layer feed would make them more prone to slowing molting because of the added calcium and protien they may not need for laying in the winter.

 

[theoldchick]

Molts can vary from a few feathers on the head to a full fledge baldy that terrifies the toddlers.