Molting, will she freeze?

[WriterofWords]

I don't know, I almost lost Show Off a couple of nights ago. She's molting and almost froze to death. I had to bring her in and leave her in the bathroom while I went to work and hope she lived. She did, but she's in the house at night until she has feathers.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

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I had 2 molt at 9 months old last year. One girl was a hard molt, and she blew all her feathers in December when we had a real cold snap. Granted our winters aren't as harsh as most, but as long as there is no draft, they will be fine.

Check out the thread in the Managing your Flock section. There's a bunch of people that live in Alaska posting how their chickens do fine without any heat.

I never mentioned anything about heat for birds. I didn't say a bird couldn't moult at 9 months, I said it is uncommon. A moult that early is generally caused by a feed change. Furthermore, I didn't say they would die. I said I've had them die during a winter moult.

I changed their feed two months ago. Went from 16% protein to 20%. The new feed has some animal protein. I did this because one of the pullets was being picked on. The picking stopped. Would this cause the molt?

 

[saladin]

There is your answer. Whenever you go up on the protein like that you can cause what is called a 'false moult.' or more commonly a 'forced moult.' It is refered to as 'false' because it took place because of management.

Life with chickens is a continual learning experience for us all. Just keep this one in mind.

Since you know the moult wasn't caused by a health issue then, as others have said, they'll most likely come through this just fine.

If they bed on the ground then you might want to add some extra straw to keep them warm.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

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Would it be best to slowly switch them back over to 16% or how about mixing the 20% with the 16%?

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

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I've searched BYC and the internet looking for information about increasing protein and causing a false molt. Can you please direct me to more information about this?

 

[speckledhen]

It's actually common practice to up the protein when the molt begins in order to supply enough protein for feather regrowth, especially if they are still laying eggs. I have never heard in my life that upping their protein/nutrition sends them into a molt. Never had it happen here. If you starve her, yes, that would do it, but upping protein? No, I'm not convinced of that one. Some folks don't add protein during the molt, but if you do, it won't cause them to molt if they weren't already ready to molt. We're talking about barely more protein than normal here at just 20%. Not sure what would happen if you added way too much of it, like 24-30%, as in game starter. 20% isn't too much protein at all, especially in times of stress. If you starved them, they'd surely go into a molt in response to that.

And it is not at all uncommon for them to go through a mini-molt at 9 months old--happens with every pullet I have. The degree varies-most of them only seem to lose some head/neck feathers and a few from other areas, but last year, I had two 9-10 month old pullets lose tons of feathers plus a noticeable amount of weight.

I have one coop with my elderly hens in it. When they molt heavily (and one has severe arthritis in her feet), I add one heat bulb so they have a "heat station" that they can go under if they need it but usually only Lexie will get directly under it--her feet really hurt her. It does not heat the coop at all and that coop has 9' ceilings and is not insulated so I do that for my five year olds. Each molt seems progressively harder on them as they get up in age.

 

[saladin]

Obviously, there are various opinions and some folks don't read thru what others write. Be that as it may, since you added more protein some 2 months before the moult then I would say that helped induce it. Now that you have changed it I certainly wouldn't change back.

By the way, there is nothing in the world wrong with feeding a 20% protein diet to hens. I wish you all the best with them.

I did learn something here though. Evidently some folks have birds that go thru this 9 month moult thing.

I hatch between 700-1,000 chicks a year and I've never seen it. All chickens, that I know of or have raised, will go through 3 moults before they aquire their adult plumage, but I'm assuming you weren't talking about that. lol. Learn something every day.

 

[speckledhen]

saladin, I only weighed in because the OP PM'd me and asked me to post. I posted my experience over the years. When some of the flock are molting heavily, I run a couple bags of 22% layer through them rather than their usual 16%. It never caused any of them to begin molting, can't see why it would.

 

[saladin]

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I understand the reason you up the protein during the moult; lots do that, though I confess I don't. But, what she had written was that she up the protein 2 months prior; that was why I thought it had caused the moult. However, you said you have 9 month pullets that moult every year. I don't doubt what you are saying. I was just stating my experience with the breeds that I raise that I have never seen that in my 46 some odd years.

lol. Watch every 9 month old pullet I have in 2011 moult just to make a liar out of me! lol.

 

[Happy Chooks]

saladin.........I'm sorry if I misread your post. I can certainly understand if a hen is in less than good health, that a hard freeze will certainly do her in. I was merely trying to say that a healthy hen should be able to weather the elements (assuming no drafts) just fine. It's a judgement call for anyone, I don't think there's any right answer. I admit to being worried about my hen, and I tried to add a red lamp for her, but it kept triggering my auto door opener, so she had to deal without it. Every situation is different, and I apologize if I offended you. You certainly have more experience than I do.