Topic of the Week - Managing Your Chickens' Molt

[Folly's place]

There's no one perfect feed, and what's available varies from region to region, and store to store. Try googling stores near you and look at their websites, or call them.
Here we have Purina Flock Raiser available within four to six weeks of it's mill date available, and it's what we buy. Nutrena has good stuff too, and beyond that, see what you can find.
Mary

 

[Jrobb78]

There's no one perfect feed, and what's available varies from region to region, and store to store. Try googling stores near you and look at their websites, or call them.
Here we have Purina Flock Raiser available within four to six weeks of it's mill date available, and it's what we buy. Nutrena has good stuff too, and beyond that, see what you can find.
Mary

Thank you! We have Nutrena at our feed store, and we buy that often. I haven’t seen Purina.

 

[GambaDawn]

Search for chicken saddles on etsy or ebay

I ordered on Amazon

 

[Bella Dominique]

I feed 20% Flock Raiser all year to everyone, and feel that most birds molt faster/ better than when I fed a 16% feed.
Right now there are some hens with bare patches, look ugly!
Mary

This will be my first time dealing with a full molt. I’m only seeing a few extra feathers here and there right now. Do I start feeding my girls the flock raiser now or wait until they’re obviously into the molt?

 

[Folly's place]

Get something soon and start mixing it with what you are feeding now, because birds hate changes, so easing them into a new food is easier.
mary

 

[Brucey11]

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

 

[Farmgirl1878]

It looks like a bunch of teenaged girls had a pillow fight around here! I’ve got half-nekid adult ladies running around with no tail feathers, pullets having their juvenile molt, nobody’s laying, and they’re all cranky! Berth’s running around flashing the neighbors her breasts, Lily’s flashing her fanny… sheesh! And there are so many feathers on the poop deck of a morning, I can hardly find the poop!

Seriously though, since I have five Brahma pullets who were hatched on Mother’s Day, everyone is getting a mix of chick and meatbird chow. And instead of their usual crack reward for coming in when I call, they’re getting mealworms and other dried bugs and larvae. It seems to be helping my adult birds to have a quicker molt.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

It looks like a bunch of teenaged girls had a pillow fight around here! I’ve got half-nekid adult ladies running around with no tail feathers, pullets having their juvenile molt, nobody’s laying, and they’re all cranky! Berth’s running around flashing the neighbors her breasts, Lily’s flashing her fanny… sheesh! And there are so many feathers on the poop deck of a morning, I can hardly find the poop!

Seriously though, since I have five Brahma pullets who were hatched on Mother’s Day, everyone is getting a mix of chick and meatbird chow. And instead of their usual crack reward for coming in when I call, they’re getting mealworms and other dried bugs and larvae. It seems to be helping my adult birds to have a quicker molt.

Boy howdy, it looks like my BLRW hen got naked in a hurry last night!

 

[Ascholten]

I ran into a scene like that a few months ago and my first thought was oh crap, something got one of my girls. Noop, just the molt thankfully !

Aaron

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I had to giggle when i logged on to BYC this morning to do some more research on chickens molting, and what do you know, its the topic of the week! Of course it is! Thank you kindly ByC. You know i love you all. Anyway, my 5 gold laced wyanottes are about 16 months old and we have what looks like a molt starting. (For one chicken) I can notice because of the amount of feathers all around the run. It also seems like the chickens have less of a tolerance for one another. Even best friends are quick to snap . I think its important when discussing molting to consider breed, location, and diet. This is just my opinion. My 5 gals are located in CT and free range up to 4hrs a day. Feed is 16% layer pellets and a side of real oyster shells. Fall season is here so the weather is getting cooler and its almost time to get things winterized! (Sry new england folks) i know your thinkin' it too! Fortunately, preparing for cold new england winter is similar to molting preparation. Upping the protein being the goal.
In order to face molting I will do the following: please offer expertise, advice if possible!
* offer 18% protein feed as a mash morning & evening and leaving the 16% pellets as free choice in run.
* black oil sunflower seeds as a little treat a couple of times a day
* 1 hard boiled egg mixed with wet mash or as a little treat
* today i purchased sardines in water for the first time. I will keep these on hand and offer them at the end of this month depending on how the molting is going. They are expensive and dont stay well in the fridge for more than a couple days. After our first new england winter 2021; this year, i will store a couple of cans of sardines to offer once a month.
* i will find a perfect molt muffin recipe and include that immediately.
* i will offer the save a chic electrolytes once a month through this winter by adding to to their warm, wet mash.
My questions:
* what happens if a molting chicken doesnt have enough feathers to keep warm through very cold new england winter? What can i do to help short of bringing them in the house!?
* what are other edible choices to help a molting chicken?
Thanks everyone and may your flocks thrive always!