Should molting hen be kept separate?

[chickengeorgeto]

I will put her back in the yard in the morning..... she just stood around under the ...the porch where their feeder is. She [ate] plenty out of the feeder but didn't free range with everyone....

May we ask what type of feed your giving your birds? During the molt 18 or even 20% protein is not too much protein.

 

[katelk]

May we ask what type of feed your giving your birds?  During the molt 18 or even 20% protein is not too much protein.

Mostly my birds free range, but I always have a feeder available if they want it. I use countryside Organics layer feed. It is 17% protein. However, they also get kitchen scraps, especially meat leftovers (their fave), and I often scramble them a bunch of eggs. So they do get more protein than just the feed. I will make sure any molting ladies get extra though. I was wondering, do roosters molt the same as hens? I have one roo who is older than everyone and has never molted at all, but now I have several ladies starting?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Mostly my birds free range, but I always have a feeder available if they want it. I use countryside Organics layer feed. It is 17% protein. However, they also get kitchen scraps, especially meat leftovers (their fave), and I often scramble them a bunch of eggs. So they do get more protein than just the feed. I will make sure any molting ladies get extra though. I was wondering, do roosters molt the same as hens? I have one roo who is older than everyone and has never molted at all, but now I have several ladies starting?

Yes, all chickens molt. In my experience the molt is harder on a rooster than on a hen simply because roosters often have a larger volume of feathers to regrow.

There is a wide amount of variation between chickens concerning the molt. But all chickens should molt the first time (their first adult molt that is) about 15 to 18 months of age and be done molting by 24 months. Some molt slowly and need several months to regrow a new set of feathers while other birds may drop nearly every feather in a week and look naked before the new feathers start to come in. Most hens all but stop laying during the molt so if all or most of your hens molt at the same time that makes the start of the molt a good time to treat for worms because you will need to discard fewer eggs.

This is also a very good time to spray the coop and/or hen house for all blood sucking mites and spray, dip, dust, or drench your hens for lice and feather mites. If you want good hard feathers some wet mash along with a dash of cod liver (vitamin D3) added for each hen makes for hard and shiny feathers. When your hens are molting they are sore and feverish. Avoid ALL handling during the molt. You are only making your hens and roosters man shy by handling them because they are sore and handling during the molt only exacerbates their pain and discomfort. After the first molt, subsequent molts become more seasonal. I can't think of any thing else.

 

[aart]

Agrees to keep the limping chicken with the flock unless he is being abused or they absolutely cannot walk at all.
It's better for them to stay with the flock then go thru the added stress of being isolated.

I have/had several limpers, they get along just fine....I think they can get rambunctious or spooked and crash into or down from something and strain a leg or foot.

Have also had a couple of pretty bare backed hens make it thru a frigid winter just fine....obviously I don't coddle my girls.

 

[Mrs. K]

My rooster is tailless going through a molt, he has one feather that is just sticking out, and for some reason it reminds me of a comb over in the wind!

But last year, I went down to the coop, and it looked like a feather pillow had exploded, I had a white hen that in 2 days lost nearly every one of her feathers but in two weeks was looking better and in a month, was laying and shinny!