Moulting....FOR THE WINTER?!?!

[Matilda hen]

Hey everyone , how are you and your flocks? Well , some of my chickens are beginning to moult , and getting lighter feathers coming into winter!! and tbh , im a lil worried , this happned last year and we lost a hen to the cold! i live in ireland , and its cold already , getting even colder. is there anything i can do?? what about these battery hen jumpers , i mean ive never thought of them before but would it be worth trying for the silly chooks who are moulting , and getting their summer feathers for winter?
Thanks

 

[sumi]

Friend of mine lives in England and she knitted jumpers for her ex-battery hens last winter. They looked so cute in them! I'll ask her for some pics/pattern and send them to you.

 

[janinepeters]

Molting before winter is normal. I also lost a hen once to the cold, but she dropped most of her feathers all at once, and they were not growing back. Most hens drop feathers more gradually, with new feathers growing in as old ones fall. When it happens like that, they can still keep warm. So I would just watch and wait and see how the molt goes.

 

[Matilda hen]

hmm , ok then! ill give it a go , and awww yes sumi please do hehe

 

[7L Farm]

You can up their protein to promote faster growth of their feathers. I usually feed mine GBS its 28% protein.

 

[Matilda hen]

ok thanks , i feed them red mills 16% layers pellets , sould i add something to that or what?