Question
We have fiveRhode Island Red chickensthat are 1½ years former . When they started lay , we weregetting eggsfrom all of them , but for the past several months , we have only been getting one egg per daylight , if that . We have one that ’s lack her arse feathers and one that is missing feather under her neck . We are first - metre chicken keepers and are stumped . Can you throw away some light on this problem for us ? — Linda
Answer
Linda , there are lots of reasons whychickens misplace feather . Some let in diseases likefowl pox , parasite problems such as mite or lice infestations , and chickens that spar with each other and yank out a few of their adversary ’s feathers . view the timing and that your hens have practically stopped laying eggs , my guess is that your chickens are molt .
chicken usually molt once a year . shed typically start in recent dusk as daylight decreases , though older hen sometimes slough twice a yr . Molting means their plume precipitate out and are replaced by new one . Feathers are 85 - percent protein . And it use up a heap of energy to originate new feathers , leaving little energy for egg production , so most hens stop lay during molt .
Some chicken keeper hold up molting by by artificial means light their biddy houses 24 hours a solar day , but hens will finally exuviate anyway . According to “ Why Did My Chickens Stop place ? ” by Oregon State University , it ’s best to turn off supplementary lighting for six weeks each wintertime so chickens can go into moulting all at once .
molt crybaby recede most of their feathering in a situated order . It set out with the head , then the neck , chest , torso , wings and finally the tail . Some fall behind a pot of feathers all at once so they ’re most bald in places . Others molt so step by step that you might not notice feather loss at all . Hybrid layers were recrudesce for quick molt and plumage re - growth . They might be through their molt in four to six weeks . Heritage - character strain tend to molt over a longer period , sometimes taking up to three or four calendar month from starting line to stopping point .
Some chicken owner recall that because their biddy are n’t laying during molt that they do n’t need a high - protein ration . On the reverse , they need extra protein . It stimulates re - feathering and gets them back to pose as quickly as possible . It ’s important to keep your biddy on a 16 - per centum protein layer feed or even switch them to 18 - per centum broiler provender for a month or so . you may also provide high - protein , high - energy treats . Examples include cooked eggs , black oil colour helianthus seeds , fishmeal , soybean repast , canned tuna , fix ground beef or cat intellectual nourishment .
ecdysis is trying to your chickens . Try not to tote up additional stressors to your their routine . Do n’t bring in new birds while your flock is molting , do n’t move them to new quarters and do n’t care them any more than necessary .
Keep in mind that molt chickens are otherwise healthy . If your hen seem ill or out of sorts , it best to consult your veterinarian or county extension agent for advice .
