Why are my chicken molting now?

[Zwillingsmama]

I have 5 chicken, 2 of them are in the middle of a molt (one I think will start to molt soon) even though they molted last November/December. I live in California, it's warm here, the days are still pretty long. They are 2 years old and are my first chicken so I don't have much experience with molting yet. I just find it odd that they pick this time, which I would still consider a high productivity time for laying. By the time they are done molting they might go into winter break and I will have no eggs until late February thats when they started laying the last 2 winters. For next year is there any way to delay molt into the fall?

 

[orloffer]

I am also in the SF Bay Area! A couple of my chickens seem to be molting as well, and I have been curious about it. For the past few days I have been mixing some higher protein food (game bird starter) with their normal layer crumbles.

 

[Zwillingsmama]

I am also in the SF Bay Area! A couple of my chickens seem to be molting as well, and I have been curious about it. For the past few days I have been mixing some higher protein food (game bird starter) with their normal layer crumbles.

I just got an all flock higher protein feed yesterday since I also have 2 9 week olds and have to move to a higher protein since it is impossible to keep the little ones away from the layer feed, but will feeding higher protein delay molting in the future? Which city are you in? I am in RWC

 

[lovesfarms]

That's interesting, the only time when one of my chickens went into a molt at an odd time was when the dog killed her partner. She was not laying for very long yet. I got two other chickens to give her company which seemed to stress her more. She wasn't sick but was naked over the coldest months of the winter. I never knew a chicken could grieve like that. So I guess grief can make them go into a molt-or is it stress?

 

[orloffer]

I just got an all flock higher protein feed yesterday since I also have 2 9 week olds and have to move to a higher protein since it is impossible to keep the little ones away from the layer feed, but will feeding higher protein delay molting in the future? Which city are you in? I am in RWC

RWC...oh yes, Redwood City. I'm in Mountain View!

 

[Sonya9]

I am in Georgia and both my bantam roosters are molting too. IMO it is a good time of year for it with the high temps. Stress can also trigger molting.

(PS I was born and raised in Cupertino. Live in Georgia now and am very glad to have made the move. I can hardly recognize my home state these days!)

 

[Folly's place]

Some hens will molt earlier in the year than others, just because. Others molt because of some stress, like your hen who lost a buddy. I have two French Marans hens who were determined to be broody for weeks, finally gave it up, and then are molting.
In theory, the best laying hens molt later in the fall rather than early, but here I haven't kept production records on each bird, so have no idea.
Mary

 

[aart]

I just got an all flock higher protein feed yesterday since I also have 2 9 week olds and have to move to a higher protein since it is impossible to keep the little ones away from the layer feed, but will feeding higher protein delay molting in the future?

No, it won't, it will help them grow those new feathers in tho.
Many of us never feed layer, just provide Oyster Shell in a separate feeder for the active layers.
I have a few molting now, seems a bit early, usually the cock is the first to molt first week of August. Some hens won't molt until Nov/Dec.