What can cause excessive molting? 4 times since last fall!

dancingbear

Songster
11 Years
Aug 2, 2008
2,836
64
191
South Central KY
In previous years, my flock has molted heavily in the fall, and sometimes had a light molt in the spring. This year, they've molted about 4 times, so far, and it isnt even time for the fall molt yet.

Is there anything diet related that could cause this? The weather's been really weird this year, could that be it? Some other cause?
 
Yes, I haven't seen any parasites, and it's the usual molting-feather-loss pattern that I normally see when they molt. And some now have the usually porcupine-look they get when the feathers start to grow back in.

Egg production has dropped way down, and I also still have hens not laying while raising chicks. I have 8 on "maternity leave", not laying. I have about 25-27 hens, laying age. Lets say 25, to be conservative, minus the 8 moms, that's 17. I'm only getting 4-8 eggs a day.

They're on 18% protein right now, layer mash mixed with a little distiller's grain to increase the protein, and they get a snack of whole corn mixed with black oil sunflower seeds. The BOSS raises the protein of the snack, so the corn doesn't drag the average down too much. That only amounts to a small handfull each, if that. They free range, real free range, where they run around a huge unfenced area with a lot of vegetation, combination of pasture and wooded areas. DE is mixed with feed for internal parasite control, but also to keep the feed dry in our humid climate.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom