You open up the coop one morning and it looks like a fox got in the henhouse. Feathers are EVERYWHERE. All your hens are accounted for, so why does it look like a massive pillow fight occurred in your henhouse?!? All of your chickens seemed healthy yesterday? What happened? If you’re concerned about your flock, take a deep sigh of relief. Your chickens are fine and as healthy as they were the day before. It is just your ladies first molting season. Luckily, there are a few simple ways you can care for molting chickens and help them regrow their feathers this season. Read on for five simple ways to support your feathered friends during this unsightly time.
What’s molting?
It can be a bit unsettling the first time your flock molts and looks like a major health concern when your flock is running around half naked. Thankfully this is a completely normal part of their annual cycle.
Chickens shed their feathers late summer and early fall in preparation for winter. Over the course of the previous year some of their feathers get damaged, dirty, or just plain worn out. A chicken’s feathers are like wearing their own personal down jacket, so with chilly nights ahead they have to fluff up with new plumage to make sure their feathers are in tip top shape to keep them warm on the cold winter nights ahead. So your flock will spend several weeks shedding and regrowing their feathers.
There are two ways your chickens may molt–soft or hard. A soft molt happens gradually over time and you may not even notice much feather loss until a few weeks into the process. This flock member is taking their time and regrowing feathers over a longer period. A hard molt is when your hen looks like all the feathers popped off in a freak accident. These poor ladies look the roughest.
What to expect?
After the old feathers are dropped, you will see the new baby feathers growing in their place. Pin feathers look a bit like quills popping out, but are developing feathers encased in a keratin coating and temporarily have a blood supply as the feather is regrowing inside. When the new feather is ready, the casing will begin to shed and you’ll see your flock preening and removing the excess. Voila! A new feather.
However, this naturally takes a lot of energy and nutrition to regrow so many feathers at once! To compensate for the hard work of growing new feathers, you may unfortunately be a bit short on eggs for breakfast. Your hens will slow down or stop laying eggs during molting season. Instead of using the protein for making eggs they switch to growing feathers which are made up of 80-90% protein.
Another thing you may notice is your chickens’ behavior may change. Your friendliest hen might hang back. Or your most adventurous chicken is hiding in the bushes more. This change in behavior is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern (unless you see any symptoms of another illness, check with a vet then). Molting hens tend to withdraw and become more shy when their tender skin is showing as if embarrassed by their gangly, scraggly appearances.
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How to care for molting chickens?
During molting season, there are a few things you as the chicken owner can do to help your flock. Simple and easy swaps in feed and a little TLC will decrease the stress of the season and have the feathered again in time for the frosty nights ahead.
1. Switch to high protein feed
When I start seeing a drop in egg production and a few more feathers floating around the yard, I know it’s time to switch from layer feed to a higher protein mix. Chicken feathers are primarily made up of protein, so to help support your flock nutritionally you’ll need to increase their protein intake. Take a look at the feed bags available at your local feed store. Available at a store near to us is Nutrena’s Feather Fixer that provides an extra boost of protein while still providing complete nutrition for the handful of ladies still laying.
2. Swap for high protein snacks and treats
Now’s the time to treat your ladies with protein-packed goodies. So to care for molting chickens swap the chicken scratch for high protein snacks like sunflower seeds, mealworms, meat scraps, scrambled eggs, or even a little bit of yogurt. If you really want to spoil your flock, consider trying out Fresh Eggs Daily’s Molt Meatloaf!
3. Don’t touch!
New feathers are sensitive and full of blood when regrowing. As much as you may love your pet hen, picking her up to hold during this season could hurt her and run the risk of snapping one of her pin feathers. Bloody mess! Highly don’t recommend it.
4. Ferment their feed
Fermented feed helps your chicken’s digestive system get maximum nutrition out of their food plus the healthy dose of probiotics. Fermenting feed is simple. Just place a ration of feed in a bucket or mason jar depending on your flock size. Fill with water several inches above the feed. Allow to sit for 2-3 days until foamy bubbles form on top. At this point, you can strain out the water and feed to your hens.
5. Supplemental Heat
If the winter snuck up on your hens this year or your flock molted later in the season, you might consider adding a heat lamp in the coop. Something to elevate the temperature a few degrees overnight, so the chill doesn’t stress your chicken’s system so hard. Just make extra sure the lamp is safely secured and won’t be a fire hazard.
How to care for molting chickens is as simple as increasing the protein in the flock’s diet and a little extra TLC. Whether a hard or soft molt, these tips will ensure your flock is supported in feather regrowth and fully feathered out for the coming winter months. Go show your ladies some love!
For more tips on caring for your chickens, be sure to browse our other posts on how to raise, tend, and perhaps spoil your feathered friends.
