Molting - How long does this take?

[Happy Chooks]

Why would commercial industry want to cause chickens to molt?  What is the purpose?

To put them into their 2nd year of laying, then they get rid of them.

Well, I followed everyone's good advice, increased their protein and practiced patience, and they are starting to lay again.  Their feathers are full, they seem to have no objections to the new rooster, so hopefully we are getting back to normal!

Now.  Next question:  What age do chickens typically stop laying?

I have one 6 year old hen still laying. My other 6 year old hen quit 2 years ago. ( but she went broody last year and raised babies). Production starts decreasing each year after the 2nd year.

I had 8 girls until a month ago.  I went out to close them up for the night and found them all very upset clucking and running around and some were on top of the coop.  When I looked inside the coop, there were 2 opossums inside the coop eating one of my girls.  I have been having a problem with them going into the coop off an on in the evening.  We did kill one of them and have been setting a live trap now since the incident. We have caught 7 opossums since then.  
After this happened I literally have
had to pick the girls up and put them in the coop for about a week.  Then they calmed down and went in themselves.  They did all go into a molt right after the incident and I haven't had an egg since.  I don't know if this is just coincidence since it is time for them to molt or if it is traumatically induced.
I never knew that opossums would kill chickens, I just thought they liked the eggs and the chicken feed.  I have learned the hard way I am sorry to say.

I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way. I too had some difficult learning when I started, and lost birds because of it. Yes, opossums do eat chickens. Just about everything eats chicken.

 

[chicksurreal]

To put them into their 2nd year of laying, then they get rid of them.
I have one 6 year old hen still laying. My other 6 year old hen quit 2 years ago. ( but she went broody last year and raised babies). Production starts decreasing each year after the 2nd year.
I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way. I too had some difficult learning when I started, and lost birds because of it. Yes, opossums do eat chickens. Just about everything eats chicken.

Too true!

 

[222danette]

I didn't know opposum were aggressive enough to kill a chicken! I've caught them in the coop eating their food but haven't had a problem with them yet with the birds. I literally pulled one out of a corner of the barn by the tail (with heavy gloves on) and shooed him out the door with no problems. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[222danette]

Too true!

: (

 

[blueridgefarmer]

Glad to read this, we have about 30 chickens and I have one Barred Rock that looks horrible, I am leaning towards molting because she has been slowly looking worse over time, and none of the others are showing any signs that it could be something else. I just never know it took so long. Poor thing I feel like she needs a sweater!

 

[Vickery]

My Barred rock lost so many feathers and was SO depleted that she could barely walk last (late) Fall. She would walk side ways and her legs would seem to almost go out from under her...this was the end of many months of not knowing what was going on. Then SUDDENLY...she was better...and NOW is healthy, laying eggs and you would never know she had had issues!

 

[blueridgefarmer]

Thanks so much!!!! That's what I figured, I just hate to see anything suffer. We have two barred rock hens and one rooster, I was going to move them to another coop (our first coop we know call the multi purpose room!!) because I wanted to start the process of collecting fertile eggs from them. I don't know whether I should go ahead or wait it out.

 

[blueridgefarmer]

Oh we had a opossum kill two of my pullets last spring. They are nasty creatures.

 

[darrylv50]

My girls have not layed an egg since the beginning of December. Finally this last week I have been getting 2 or 3 eggs a day. This has been such a cold winter and they have been molting the entire time. I have had feathers all over the place. I did crochet some sweaters from a pattern I found on line. Though they look very cute in them I don't know if they really are much help to conserve their heat. A couple of them took theirs off. i guess they didn't like them lol.

 

[darrylv50]

So excited, the molt must be over after 3 long eggless months, 6 eggs yesterday. Not bad for 7 girls.