Chickens molting is a natural occurrence, much like snakes shedding their skin is. It may be daunting when you do not know what it is or what the signs are. However, molting is healthy for the chickens. So when do chickens molt?
Molting is an annual occurrence typically occurring when the chickens are 18 months old. Late summer or early fall is when molting occurs. To help chickens when they molt, provide them with high-protein treats. Ensure you feed them high-quality feed, and add electrolytes and vitamins to their diet.
Knowing when chickens molt and why they molt can go a long way in helping you provide whatever kind of help and support you can.
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When Do Chickens Molt?
Chickens generally lose a few feathers every now and then. There is an instance where a significant amount of feathers are lost, called molting. However, there are other reasons that chickens will have feather loss, like when they have lice. Therefore, knowing the when can help you distinguish between the time for molting and other feather loss problems such as bullying or feather picking.
Chickens usually get triggered to start molting when the days get shorter. When the amount of light diminishes after high summer, chickens begin to molt in relation to how many hours per day they receive full light. And they will molt more quickly if it is hot.
Usually, a chick will go through several molts until they become adults. Once adulthood is reached, they will then molt once every year. Once chickens are typically older than a year, they will start molting in the late summer or early fall. This is typically known as an annual molt.
Suppose you have ruled out all the other factors that could lead to feather loss. In that case, your chickens are most likely going through molting, particularly in late summer or early fall. This process is essential in winter as feathers generally mean warmth. When young, chickens molt when they are roughly 6 to 8 weeks old.
Then again, at 8 to 12 weeks old. This is typically where male chickens get their ornamental feathers. To be specific, adult molting happens at around 18 months. The molting process for adult chickens usually takes 8 to 12 weeks. Chickens can also get pushed into a molt if there is a lack of food or water or are in a stressful environment. Chickens have been known to often go into a molt due to stress.
What Are Some Molting Signs To Look Out For?
Chickens go through a molt annually to replenish their feathers. This is good for their health as it ensures they have lovely, new, strong feathers to help them get through the winter. When chickens are going through a molt, they generally do not lay many eggs, or they do not lay any eggs at all.
If you notice a chicken with no feathers, they are going through a hard molt. When they go through a significant molt, they lose many feathers, typically over a few weeks rather than all at once. While their wing feathers are growing again, they lose neck and body feathers. They could appear worn-out and deplorable for a while.
How Can You Help Chickens That Molt?
It can be scary seeing your chickens with bald patches and falling feathers. This is healthy for them. Suppose you are wondering if you can help them get through the process. In that case, the answer is yes.
There are several ways that you can best support your chickens when they are molting. Molting is a crucial and important process. However, often, your chickens will need additional support. You can do some things to get your chickens through the molt amazingly.
Feed Your Chickens Treats That Are High In Protein
Chickens adore mealworms or grubs. This is definitely something to look into getting. This is because when chickens molt, they use a lot of their bodies’ resources to get through the process. This makes sense as everything focuses on replacing the feathers they are losing.
A protein-packed treat like mealworms or grubs is one of the best ways to give them nutrients. Because grubs cost a pretty penny, some people may not be willing to spend money to help chickens molt when they end up doing that on their own anyway.
You can simply take their eggs, scramble them, and feed them to your chickens every few days. Additionally, you can feed them canned salmon. This will help them get through their molts. You can also add nuts, sunflower seeds, and soybeans. The goal is to ensure that they get treats that are high in protein.
Ensure That You Feed Your Chicken Good Quality Feed
One other thing you can do to help your chickens is to ensure that you are feeding them good quality feed. Slacking on the feed quality will just make the molting process even harder than it needs to be.
Incorporate Vitamins In Your Chicken Diet
You should also ensure that you incorporate electrolytes, vitamins, and probiotics. Do this by adding them to the water that the chickens drink. This is highly beneficial to your chickens as their bodies are under a lot of stress. Different brands can be found online on Amazon or at a farm store. The abovementioned will help give them a little boost to help support them during this process.
What To Do For A Chicken Experiencing Hard Molting.
If you ever notice a chicken not pecking or scratching and they are puffed up during a molting, it is clear that that chicken is having an extra hard time. In that case, you can take your chicken inside in a nice, quiet area where there is less stress.
Ensure that you also give it vitamins, probiotics, and electrolytes. These chickens should be good to go back outside within a day or two to join the rest of the flock. Keep in mind not to handle chickens that are molting. Growing feathers can be a painful process.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, molting is a natural process that chickens go through. This is where they replace old feathers with new feathers. The newer the feathers, the warmer the chickens will be.
