Molting and ferd

[City Farmer Jim]

Good evening all, newbie questions for the GREAT MINDS HERE AT BYC. Our first flock of 4 girls turned 2 September 10 and thus far only 1 bird partially molted up to now, the second flock of 4 turned 1on March 5th and no one has molted yet. I am curious if I am doing something wrong or if living in south Texas has something to do with it. This is the feed they are eating at this time.Thank you in advance for all yourgreatadvice.

 

[Mrs. K]

Some molt hard, some molt soft. A lot of variance. I have gone down to the coop, thinking something had been killed with feathers every where, and now I have one, that is slowly molting a few feathers here and there.

Have they quit laying? That can also be a sign. They will molt - and the feed won't keep them from molting - or everyone would be buying that.

Mrs K

 

[City Farmer Jim]

The feed picture was really a question about wehter or not that is a good enough quality feed to sustain them through a molt?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am curious if I am doing something wrong or if living in south Texas has something to do with it.

I don't know everything you are doing as far as lights. What causes chickens the age of yours to molt is the days getting shorter. Well technically it's the periods of dark getting longer but most people think of days getting shorter. If they have light that prevents the days from getting shorter then that could keep them from molting. This does not have to be light that you purposely add, it could be a security light or street light. All chickens don't start molting at exactly the same time, there can be quite a bit of variety as to start date in the flock. But yes, most of yours should have started by now.

Some chickens are fast molters, some are slow molters. This has nothing to do with how fast the feathers grow back, it has to do with how fast they fall out. This is controlled by genetics, not diet. With fast molters feathers fall out in bunches, it is easy to tell by looking that they are molting. Some slow molters lose feathers so slowly you can't tell by looking at them that they are molting. One possibility is that they (or most of them) are molting but you don't realize it. The last paragraph in this link tells you how to look at their wing feathers to see if they are molting.

http://extension.msstate.edu/content/molting-laying-hens

The feed picture was really a question about wehter or not that is a good enough quality feed to sustain them through a molt?

I feed mine a 16% protein Grower throughout the year, with oyster shell on the side so the ones that are laying can get the calcium they need for egg shells. It doesn't matter if they are laying or molting, they get the 16% protein feed. They also forage for some of their food and get some garden or kitchen wastes according to the season but these are generally low protein. Some people may feel I'm abusing my chickens by not feeding them a high protein feed but from what I see the 16% protein feed sustains mine quite well during laying or molting. Your 20% protein feed should sustain them quite well.

You are feeding them a Layer, which means the calcium is around 4%. My Grower has a calcium level around 1%. That's why I offer oyster shell on the side. Some people feel that feeding that high a calcium content to non-laying chickens can harm them, others don't worry about it. By feeding Grower with low calcium and offering oyster shell on the side I don't need to worry about it. But your question is about the molt. Calcium level has nothing to do with the molt. All the other ingredients listed are within the range that any difference doesn't matter.

Your feed is not preventing them from molting. Changing feed would not cause them to molt. What controls when and how they molt is the makeup of the individual chicken and the nights getting longer. It's not calcium and it's not protein.