Moulting not laying how long?

[Hisladybee]

I have two hens I inherited. I don't know how old they are. I've been told possibly 3 years. Neither hen was laying right after the move here, I expected that was the change of moving. Then one hen was laying a large brown egg every other day then stopped. She looked to me like she was moulting. It's been about a month since the last brown egg. Soon as she stopped laying the other hen started laying a medium size white egg every other day. Last week she stopped. No eggs for a week now. The second layer is now looking like she is starting to moult. Lots of tiny feathers in the yard and coop. The other hen is looking good now. How long does it take them to moult and how long do they stop laying when they do? Can I expect the first hen to begin laying again soon? I don't know their breeds, it here is a picture of the two. The red hen was the first to moult and stop laying, the buff colored one is starting to moult.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some birds are beginning to molt. Some do it quickly, which is called a hard molt, some do it more slowly and it can take months. Generally once they get into the full molt egg production will stop. Depending on your birds and where you live most hens won't resume laying until December to March.

Poor layers often molt early and slow. Good layers often molt hard. Your girls at 3 years of age have their best egg laying years behind them. It's normal for them to stop and start throughout the season and lay sporadically. They will probably quit early and resume laying later than younger hens do.

 

[Hisladybee]

Thank you, I kinda of thought so. I haven't been around chickens since I helped my grandfather when I was a teen. (Many many years ago) These girls were a rescue. There were three I lost one. I'm enjoying having them, the eggs were nice but not necessary. I may get more hens down the road, but as we may be moving, I figured I'd wait until spring.

 

[dunnmom]

How long they will go through it depends a lot on how many feathers they lose. You can try to help them regrow their feathers faster by giving them more protein. I gave mine scrambled eggs and BOSS. I believe the average molt can last 6 to 8 weeks. Sometimes they will be off-lay longer than that, and that depends on when their body starts using energy to lay eggs again instead of growing feathers. Some hens don't go off-lay at all while molting, but I've never had one of those myself.

 

[Hisladybee]

Red Velvet has been in molt about 8 weeks, she was looking kind of scraggly when I got her. Mattie (the light buff colored hen) just started and stopped laying a week ago. Red Velvet stopped laying about 4 weeks ago, well into her molt, her last egg was a tiny egg with no yolk in it. She's looking good now.

I've been giving them laying pellets, oyster shells, and grit. They get dried meal worms and greens, usually Kale, every morning for a treat, watermelon in the afternoon if its hot out or other fruits/ veg and I fill their toy ball with scratch every afternoon. They seem like happy hens.

They stay in a covered run built off their coop because we have dogs and can't free range, so I put the lawn clippings in there when I mow the grass. I'll start giving them scrambled eggs too. How much how often for two hens?

And thanks for the info!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Molting requires lots of protein so it's better to switch them off layer to a higher protein feed like an all flock or non medicated grower, or even a feather fixer. Provide an extra bowl of oyster shells free choice for any calcium needs. They also don't need the extra calcium in layer if they aren't actively laying. I actually don't feed a layer anymore, mine get an All Flock year round with the separate bowl of oyster shells, which simplifies things.

 

[dunnmom]

You can give them each a whole egg scrambled or boiled and chopped everyday if you want while they are off-lay, and you might want to consider soaking their pellets. It will digest faster if wet. The rule I use is once they've eaten all of their soaked pellets, then I give supplemental foods after.