Topic of the Week - Managing Your Chickens' Molt

[BecaHawaii]

I have 1 Roo, poor boy never has his beautiful long tail feathers, I suspect 1 hen in particular keeps plucking them out...but he let's her!

Do I just leave it alone? They keep growing back and then boom - gone.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Do I just leave it alone? They keep growing back and then boom - gone.

I have 1 Roo, poor boy never has his beautiful long tail feathers, I suspect 1 hen in particular keeps plucking them out...but he let's her!

He has all his tail feathers he is missing some neck feathers. It's his saddle feathers they are pulling.

 

[Maggiedoodle]

In late summer/early fall, your coop is full of feathers, and your birds are half-naked. First, if you don't know what is happening, you might panic and wonder if they have a parasite or something attacking them but that is not the case, they are just molting and it's an entirely natural process.

This week I would like to hear your thoughts and practices on managing your chickens' molt. Specifically:

- How do you tell if they are molting or infested with parasites?
- Feed supplementation - do you change their diet in any way?
- What do you do to prepare for emergencies during molting?

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[Maggiedoodle]

Here, I get a 2 kg bag of full fat soy meal and add it to a regular bag of chicken feed when anyone is molting. By the end of the week, feathers are starting to fill in and everybody is looking glossy again. Works every time.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Here, I get a 2 kg bag of full fat soy meal and add it to a regular bag of chicken feed when anyone is molting. By the end of the week, feathers are starting to fill in and everybody is looking glossy again. Works every time.

I wouldn't even know where to buy that here. LOL

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My polish are losing tons of feathers!!! Maybe I can get a naked chicken this year? One of them is a frizzle so I heard they molt worse

 

[kurby22]

I've never had a proper molt before. Hopefully I can get some funny looking birds this year! I've been finding feathers all ober the place but no bald patches

This is the same for me. My coop is FULL of feathers, but all of my chickens looked so normal I never noticed anything but the feathers. I just know when this hard molt happens I’m going to panic and think they have parasites!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

He has all his tail feathers he is missing some neck feathers. It's his saddle feathers they are pulling.

It always makes me wonder...are you plucking those beautiful feathers because you're jealous you don't have them? Lol

 

[Chickenheadmate]

I increase protein intake during molt. Also put hen saddles on those who need them to prevent peckers.

Is it a waste if you give them more protein during the begging stages of their molting cycle? Or should I just wait until feathers start growing bacon out?

 

[kdke]

Ditto, I get the higher protein feed for my flock, it helps.

What saddles and where do you purchase them please?