Information about molting?

[chickcrazzy]

My flock has started to molt and i'm noticing some behavioral diffrance since they started. I was just wandering whats I can do to help them through the process? And will roosters stop crowing when they start molting? Because my roos have stopped crowing and i'm sortof courious

 

[Judy]

Increasing protein makes sense since feathers are high protein. No, they don't usually sto crowing. But it's pretty evident they don't feel as well as usual when molting, so you may see different behaviors. If you have a lap chicken, it may avoid being touched during this time, and they may spread out on the roost further, for example. Here is an article on molting:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chickens-loosing-feathers-managing-your-flocks-molt

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and are here to help.

Most chickens act crankier and more aggressive during the molt. You can't blame then! LOL Once they grow their new feathers, their behavior should return to normal.

Make sure to give your birds extra protein as Judy said. Feathers take up 85% of a chickens protein so obviously they need more when molting. Mealworms, oatmeal, eggs, meat scrapes, peas and quinoa are all great food with high protein content.

I've never heard of roosters who stop crowing during the molt.

Good luck with them and welcome!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good suggestions and links above, molting is hard on birds. X3 roos usually don't stop crowing, you might want to double check yours that you don't have something else going on besides molting, mites, lice etc.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. You've received some good advice from the other BYC members and a good link from Judy. Just be patient with your flock; they will soon be finished with their molting and your roosters will be crowing again. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

My birds tend to get very shy and distant during a molt. They can also go off their feed, so when you do feed them treats, give them protein foods like cooked ground turkey or beef, meal worms, yogurt, etc....Feathers consist of 85% protein and it takes a lot out of a bird to molt. They generally stop laying and any bird that is suffering from any ailment, many times a molt can push them over edge and even drive their immune systems very low. So keep the stress down, feed them well and expect some personality changes.

Enjoy your flock and welcome to ours!

 

[chickcrazzy]

THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH FOR GIVING ME ADVICE!! I love byc already

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Welcome to BYC!