looking for some help

[Betsyann]

hi we have a dozen rhode island reds that were producing very nicely until about May when they started to molt. We waited it out and it improved but then we noticed that the backsides of some of the birds were still featherless and red. Now we will 1 or 2 a day sometimes 6 but not a lot of production.
They are acting just fine and other than the tail feathers and lack of eggs seem to be quite happy.
We are not sure what if anything we can do or if what is happening is of major concern. We feed them an organic grain that has the 16% protein that we were told they need. We give them spinach mustard greens lettuces corn on the cob but no scratch or anything like that.
Thanks and I look forward to any thoughts
Betsy

 

[Judy]

The treats are reducing their protein intake, to one extent or another. Molting increases their need for protein because it takes lots of protein to grow new feathers. Feather picking can simply be a way of getting more protein. And feeds are usually vegetarian, but chickens of course are omnivores. If they were mine, I would change the extras to a protein source for a while, preferably an animal source protein. I buy my 10 hens a can of canned mackerel now and then, more often during molting, if I don't have some other animal source handy to give them. Keep in mind that birds are lactose intolerant.