Molting? Eggs?

[1stTimeChicken]

Our birds are now around 18 months old. The have stopped laying eggs about a week and a half ago and since a few days ago there are feathers all over the coop and the run. The seems to preen themselves a lot as well and most of the time loose feathers fall off.
I've bought them feather fixer food, but there still loosing feathers like crazy and of course no eggs.

Are the molting? When will we get eggs again? We're running out of eggs

 

[Peristeria]

It sounds like molting since it's that time of year. I don't know about chickens, but my quail stopped laying to molt too and it looked like a feather pillow exploded over the coop, haha. It sounds the same but I am definitely not an expert. Good luck with your chickens!

 

[piminuse]

Sounds like molting. Totally natural!

This process can be hard on you gals, so you can help the process by upping their protein content to help them through it. Within a few weeks you should see most the new pin feathers finishing their transition. It's also common for lots of breeds to either slow down or stop production through the winter months. You might be able to "hack" them by putting lights in their coop, but most folks agree that this is inhumane and may decrease your bird's overall lifespan.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They're in their annual molt, which coupled with shortening daylight causes egg production to slow down or stop. I have never gotten eggs during molt, which started as early as August for me this year, and my girls do not start laying again until daylight lengthens (for me, January at earliest, some of mine last year didn't resume laying until late March).

How to handle it, for the future:
- Stagger flock ages. Every year (or two) add chicks/young pullets to the flock to keep some production going during the winter.
- Save up eggs during late summer to try and last through the winter. Depending on your stockpile and needs this can at least decrease the amount of eggs you need to buy. Last year I was lucky and only had to buy 1 dozen eggs before laying resumed.

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

Sounds like molting. Totally natural!

This process can be hard on you gals, so you can help the process by upping their protein content to help them through it. Within a few weeks you should see most the new pin feathers finishing their transition. It's also common for lots of breeds to either slow down or stop production through the winter months. You might be able to "hack" them by putting lights in their coop, but most folks agree that this is inhumane and may decrease your bird's overall lifespan.

Question for you about lighting. We have been using these small solar night lights for our 7 month old flock, as some are still hesitant to come into the coop at night until its pitch black outside. (They are safe in their run though!) They "burn out" within a few hours and then it's dark in the coop. Will this be detrimental to their lifespan? Or is this ok? They are not that bright. Thanks in advance.

 

[aart]

feather fixer food

'Feather Fixer' feed will not fix feathers, it's a total marketing scam.
It just has a bit more protein than most layer feeds.

but most folks agree that this is inhumane and may decrease your bird's overall lifespan.

It's not inhumane, nor life shortening, if done correctly.

They "burn out" within a few hours and then it's dark in the coop. Will this be detrimental to their lifespan? Or is this ok? They are not that bright. Thanks in advance.

It's fine, probably won't act as supplemental lighting, but shouldn't be needed.

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

'Feather Fixer' feed will not fix feathers, it's a total marketing scam.
It's not inhumane, nor life shortening, if done correctly.

It's fine, probably won't act as supplemental lighting, but shouldn't be needed.

I am hoping in a few more nights we won't have to use them anymore. We were down to just 2 stragglers in the run last night, and we put them in through their pop door this time instead of the big clean out door. Teaching them to go up the ramp and into the coop.