Molting question?

[Zaxby's2]

Well, I have four adult birds, three of them that I clipped their wings when they were younger. I've heard that when you clip their wings that they have trouble molting, and that you need to remove the feathers sometimes. How do you do that? And when do you know to do it? The hens have started laying again, but the still look like they're molting, just almost done. The rooster has grown back his wing feathers, but the hens haven't. Do I just need to go and pluck their clipped wing feathers out so they can grow new ones?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've never heard that or had a chicken with that problem in any of my flocks. Large flight feathers can be painful if pulled. I wouldn't normally do that unless it was a blood feather that had been broken and wasn't clotting.

I've trimmed flight feathers on my chickens in the past. My chickens molted normally, when it was time. So have my parrots that had clipped wings. The adult chickens usually molt in the fall here, although once in awhile I have one that molts at a different time of year. Young chickens grow larger replacement feathers during a lot of their first year. If they were mine, I'd just wait and let them fall out when it's time.

 

[Zaxby's2]

Okay, thanks!

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

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