Molting behavior

[happyhencamper]

My molting birds tend to eat less. Right now my entire flock is eating about 70-75% of what they'd eat during the longest days in summer, with the still-feathered birds doing more of the eating.

I love this group. Thank you so much for replying. A sigh of relief for me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I love this group. Thank you so much for replying. A sigh of relief for me.

I should've also added, molting usually coincides with shortening day length, so fewer daylight hours = less time to eat = less being eaten. So that plus molting birds not feeling so great and not wanting to be touched (and hanging around a feeder means other birds are bumping against them), so all the more reason why they don't want to eat as much.

 

[Jeanw]

I can imagine molting feels like having splinters all over when those pin feathers come in, ouch!