Molting

[cp_30256]

How long do chickens molt. This is my first year and I don't know much about it. Also I heard that if you give them dry cat food and vitamins that will help them go thru the molt. I can use all the help I can get. Do they just go thru the molt once a year?

 

[dlhunicorn]

Please do not give them dry cat food ... the vitamin mix is not formulated for a bird and it has way too much salt (deadly to birds!) I know many give their birds this but it can go wrong so quickly and too much salt irreversibly damages the kidney and that will affect the birds long term ability to be healthy and deal with pathogens etc.

Here is info on molting:
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf
(Molting and Other Causes of Feather Loss-KSU)

,.. and i suggest you get a good general poultry supplement like AviaCharge 2000 (it is one of the few complete nutritional/vitamin supplements I know of and this can be ordered from McMurray Hatchery or Strombergs) and give that during their molt. Ading a scrambled egg and offering them (free choice) live culture yogurt and a few sunflower hearts to their feed will also help.