Molting

[tojo555]

how long does molting last?

 

[Charm1704]

Put your birds on game bird conditioner, add it to their regular feed, it will help it go a little faster...they need high protein to grow feathers. ~Charm1704

 

[GJchickens]

Lots of protein helped ours grow beautiful feathers back

 

[TheTropix]

I have a different molting question. Do hens act kind of ho-hum about life when they molt? Even a molt that isn't bad (a patch on her back, but it's not real obvious). She eats and drinks and walks around pecking here and there, but not gobbling anything up like the other 2 (hen/roo) and likes to roost more than usual. No runny nose, fever, bad smells.. just bummed. And she's stopped laying. I did throw them a handful of Koi pellets for a protein bump, and they LOVED that. She ate them like a pig. I'll see if I can find some kind of conditioner out here.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My hens, even the ones that routinely let me hold them, get seriously cranky when they moult. The don't want to be touched, don't want any attention from the rooster, don't want to scratch, they just want to be left to sulk. I have one hen that will screech if I even so much as look at her when she's dropping feathers
Gamebird feed/conditioner really does give them a good boost. I also try to feed more meat scraps while mine are moulting. Right now, my coop and run look like someone had a very serious pillow fight!

 

[cafarmgirl]

how long does molting last?

It depends on whether the bird is having a light or heavy molt. Sometimes they go through a light molt, just loose a few feathers and grow them back fairly quickly, 2 or 3 weeks. Other times they will go through a hard molt, loose many feathers and be almost naked. Obviously this process takes a lot longer for all the old feathers to fall out and especially for all those new ones to grow in. As mentioned boosting their protein during this time helps with the process of new feather production.

 

[tojo555]

thanks for all the come backs and all good things to know being new at this.