How to correct a bad molt?

[High Roost Ranch]

I have a pair of fantails, that I got not too long ago and the hen just finished out a bad molt. She kept the blood shaft on her feathers until they were nearly grown out, weakening the feather. Is there any way to force another molt or am I stuck with this situation until next molt? I feed a fancy non-popcorn breeder seed mix that comes out of Canada, alternated with Nutrablend Green. Should I switch feeds?

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Changing the lighting may help speed up the time between moults. May be best just to wait it out.

 

[deerman]

If she only has a few bad feathers, you can pull those and she will grow new ones. People do that all the time before shows.

Trick racer of homers do is us a dark loft, so young birds dont start their moolt during racing season.

Longer daylight start the breeding and also the molt, the shorter daylight will stop the molt till spring.

SO Yes you can start and stop the molt by changing amout of light they have.

Hope thats helps...

 

[MissPrissy]

Be very careful if you pluck a feather. If you get one with blood in the shaft it will bleed like crazy.

 

[deerman]

yes good point DONT PULL BLOOD feathers, unless one is broken and bleeding. Then pull it to stop the bleeding...

 

[Tony K T]

Feed them suet.It promotes feather growth.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Thanks everyone for your help. Being here in FL, perhaps having them in a shady location was my downfall trying to keep them more comfortable in a big open air flight I have. I have moved them into a building that has lighting throughout the night. And they are getting more natural daytime sun filtering in on them. I guess I'll wait it out and feed suet when they do decide to molt again. I know about blood feathers, thanks though for mentioning that. And she's got so many bad feathers that I hate to pull them. Is it possible the shady location was the culprit behind the bad molt? I've fed a well balanced diet all along. And on the suet, will they eat from it just as wild birds do or do I need to do something different? I'm not even sure being here in FL I can get suet. Finding it when I lived in MN was no problem at all. But I've not seen it here in FL offered anywhere in the farm, feed, tractor supply, etc places.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Actually raising the protein is what promotes feather growth. Suet helps with the shine and sleek look to beautifully groomed feathers.