If I Had Not Seen It, I'd Never Believe It!!

[Peppercorngal]

One of my red star hens is molting badly. So bad the others were picking on her and I sprayed her up with Blue Kote. Hens in this state of molt do not lay eggs, right? Wrong! This morning as I was opening the coops and run doors, she ran to the nesting box and right in front of me laid an egg is just a couple of minutes! I've never seen such a thing. Such a good girl.

 

[Peppercorngal]

That's fascinating! My girls shut down during molt and just started laying about a month or 2 ago again.

Mine do too. It's been a molting winter and from 35 hens there were days I've only gathered 10 eggs! It's picking up now, only 3 hens left to molt (like this one!), I get 17 to 20 eggs a day now. Never saw a molting hen lay before!

 

[chrissynemetz]

It's always a nice surprise when you get a girl who still lays during a molt

 

[aart]

Some birds will lay during molt, especially high production breeds.
Time of year(longer days) and good diet probably help.

 

[casportpony]

You should enter pictures of her in the molt contest!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...st-your-best-worst-chicken-molt-pics.1334957/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just more proof you don't get guarantees with living animals, certainly not chickens. Typically a hen stops laying when she molts and uses the nutrition that was making eggs to grow feathers. Typically doesn't mean always. There are exceptions.

She is a productive hybrid. I anticipate you are feeding her well, maybe a lot of protein. It could be fairly warm so she does not need to use that much energy to stay warm. I don't know how you are handling lights.

A feral hen from before they were domesticated would not be likely to be laying eggs during a molt, that would lessen her chances of survival. But we have domesticated them and treat then pretty nice. While it is still unusual for a hen that is molting to lay eggs, it happens.

 

[Peppercorngal]

It's always a nice surprise when you get a girl who still lays during a molt

And she's in the nest box laying again this morning! She won't even take a day off, poor girl!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Some birds will lay during molt, especially high production breeds.
Time of year(longer days) and good diet probably help.

This month has been the warmest and driest February since 1864 for us. We haven't had one drop of rain all month. Spring seems to be springing (although it's not really time) and I'm sure she feels that too. They do get fed well! Going today to buy more feed for the flock, and I have plans to add a chicken swing to the run this weekend! Spoiled critters they are!

 

[chickens really]

I'm thinking feather pecking is a problem...

 

[Peppercorngal]

Just more proof you don't get guarantees with living animals, certainly not chickens. Typically a hen stops laying when she molts and uses the nutrition that was making eggs to grow feathers. Typically doesn't mean always. There are exceptions.

She is a productive hybrid. I anticipate you are feeding her well, maybe a lot of protein. It could be fairly warm so she does not need to use that much energy to stay warm. I don't know how you are handling lights.

A feral hen from before they were domesticated would not be likely to be laying eggs during a molt, that would lessen her chances of survival. But we have domesticated them and treat then pretty nice. While it is still unusual for a hen that is molting to lay eggs, it happens.

I feed my chickens well, avoiding corn and fattening treats. I don't use lights. I did have their light on a timer one year, but the timer wigged out and I gave it up. The day is the day and they get whatever it is! They go "to bed" quite late in my opinion. I can barely see it's so dark and a few of them will still be out walking around pecking. They tend not to "get up" until I open the coop at 7:30am-8am. Some do, but only about 1/3 the flock. I love em!