Molt question

[rosemarythyme]

So, it seems from looking randomly through some of these posts, that molting causes laying to be curtailed somewhat?

I've never had a single hen lay during molt. A couple of my birds have begun laying again after molting early this year, but I don't anticipate that will last - they'll stop completely once the days are too short to trigger laying.

The Easter Egger was the last to start, and she needed to be dosed with Calcium Citrate for 7 days, because I had noticed some eggs with no shell. That solved the problem. I was about to start dosing her again, because she hasn't laid for a week, but I wanted to know if I should

No, do not dose her if she's not laying. Most likely she was having egg quality issues because she was ready to stop laying due to molt (and she may have egg quality issues that fix themselves once she starts again).

 

[SoCal Chicken Mama]

Oh, thank you so much, I didn't think of that. I won't dose her with calcium, but may try a higher protein feed while they are molting.

That brings up another question: Can they keep themselves warm while molting? None of them have bare patches yet, but there is a ton of feathers everywhere, every morning. And whenever I touch one of them dozens of feathers come off in my arms. I have been fastidiously removing them, thinking they might have mites or dirt, But should I allow them to pile up in the place where they sleep to keep it warmer. (like in Beatrice Potter, there was a whole room full of feathers in Jemima Puddleduck (the silly bird who wanted to sit on her own eggs instead of letting the farmer give them to the hens to hatch...so she went with Mr. Fox to his farm with the room full of feathers?). Spoiler alert, she survived, but none of her eggs did. Or should I pile some clean bedding in there? They don't sleep on the floor, they sleep on a roost 6 inches above it. There is a rug on the floor to make the poop easier to remove in the morning. I shut the door so their aren't any drafts in there. Should I put the heat plate I used when they were babies back in there? How are they going to stay warm without feathers? And how long is this going to last. Today is day 2.

 

[rosemarythyme]

And whenever I touch one of them dozens of feathers come off in my arms.

Avoid handling them unless needed while molting. You may find birds become more skittish as they're more sensitive due to the pinfeathers coming in.

Should I put the heat plate I used when they were babies back in there? How are they going to stay warm without feathers? And how long is this going to last. Today is day 2.

Molt can happen very quickly, or gradually. So a bird can blow off everything in a few days, or very small amounts for weeks, to the point that you might not even notice they're actively molting at a glance.

Judging by your user name you're in Southern California? You'll never get cold enough for cold to be a concern.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Avoid handling them unless needed while molting. You may find birds become more skittish as they're more sensitive due to the pinfeathers coming in.

Molt can happen very quickly, or gradually. So a bird can blow off everything in a few days, or very small amounts for weeks, to the point that you might not even notice they're actively molting at a glance.

Judging by your user name you're in Southern California? You'll never get cold enough for cold to be a concern.

Can they keep themselves warm while molting?

Yes, especially in southern California. Nature gave them that ability long before they were ever domesticated.

I have been fastidiously removing them, thinking they might have mites or dirt

Inspect your birds for mites or lice. If you see any treat the birds and coop. If your chickens have mites or lice, loose feathers laying around are not going to have an effect.

But should I allow them to pile up in the place where they sleep to keep it warmer.

That's a common misconception on here, that you need to provide a warm place for your chickens. If your temperatures get around 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (-30 C) the situation changes. What chickens need is a dry place out of a strong breeze. You get that with good ventilation and wind blocks.

With the wild birds that overwinter where you are, how many do you see laying around dead on your coldest days? They have the freedom to move around and get out of any breezes. Whether they sleep in trees or on the ground they have great ventilation.

Should I put the heat plate I used when they were babies back in there?

No! Just plain no!

And how long is this going to last. Today is day 2.

How long it takes for them to lose their feathers is controlled by genetics. Fast molters may be over the molt in a little over a month. Slow molters may take as much as 5 months. The speed of the molt is controlled more by how fast feathers fall out, not how fast they grow back.

The molting process is normal and natural. This is not a crisis. There is no emergency. Try not to let it bother you too much. Once the molt is over their new feathers will look beautiful.

 

[SoCal Chicken Mama]

Thank you RosemaryThyme and Ridgerunner. This is a big relief. You're right, I've never seen a wild bird dead from cold. You guys know everything.