why do they molt in the winter?

[Happy Chooks]

Hi All...I have (I think)...given my girls every bit of protein I could manage since I began to think they were molting (mid summer)...meaning, meal worms, BOSS, cooked eggs, yogurt, milk, high protein feed (and also wormed them)...I'm about broke on this...now, they finally began losing feathers in ernest in November (seriously) and my one, barred rock is so thin and sickly that I think she may not make it through the night! She is sprouting feathers but wavers when she walks today (maybe heat loss in our recent windy cold?) and I picked her up cause she looked so thin...breast bone sticking out....but she is eating like the others when I observe. Any thoughts or comments??? This chicken/egg thing is such a "project"...anyone that says having chickens is easy is crazy!!!

How old are they? Could they be having other issues, like laying issues? Were they laying well before the molting started?

 

[Vickery]

Thank you for responding...they are about 21 months old. They were not laying well through the summer (last year 38 eggs/week, this year 20 and dwindling as the fall came on)...some looked like they were beginning to molt so I gave lots of extra protein. I have tried worming them, thinking that that was the problem. The one that's giving me the worst problem (i.e. weak) seems to be molting the hardest. She also was sick (bright green poo) in October...but she isn't doing that anymore. She eats and tries to keep up with the others. Marek's diseases is the only thing I can see that may make sense but if that is the case...they're all doomed I guess.
Any thoughts would be helpful.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Your bird sounds like something else is wrong besides molting.

As for the high protein treats, what you have been giving is nutritious but eggs are only about 13% protein, BOSS unless dehulled is lower yet