Thanks! Lots of good info.
What Happens When Chickens Molt?
- Author Mountain Peeps
- Publish date
- Updated
- Article read time 6 min read
Thanks for re-posting this excellent article! It’s a keeper. 
May I mention a few other molting-coping ideas that have worked for me over the years?
Another thing you can do to help your flock through its molt is to treat it for mites, worms or any other common invasive problem during the late summer. I have found that by figuring that my ladies will start molting during September (which, as the article states, is not always a given but I find that if my flock is going to molt, it starts in the early fall ) relieving them of any other common health pressures helps them cope with feather loss. Regardless of the methods of treatment you use ( natural or pharmaceutical), removing irritants which themselves can cause major problems if gone unchecked helps your flock face the stress of molting time with solid health. And if you have fewer molters than you anticipated, the entire group benefits from “pest relief” !
Just like supplementing with vitamin D helps hens prepare for the laying rush of the spring, a late-summer “health tidy” is beneficial regardless. Of course, if your birds show no signs of infestation or irritation, you don’t want to medicate or meddle needlessly because that in itself can stress flock dynamics and health. I’ve just found it an option that when needed has proved helpful when dealt with pre-molt.
One other thing I try to observe is to be cautious about additional UV lighting at this time. I know of flocks who are placed under aggressive coop lighting schedules once the daylight hours begin to reduce in order to force laying. I figure that after a spring and summer under the sunshine, stimulating laying, the molt is not the time to expect stellar egg production. The article explains how egg production lessens or even stops during the molt. Observing natural light periods will cause less stress for chickens as they are facing the other challenges of molting. Just like we look forward to cozying up in the autumn, there is no reason the coop can’t be a more comforting spot. Trying to sleep with a light on when you just want to settle down should not be a molting chicken’s equivalent bother.
Back to the article, I liked its excellent focus on increased protein consumption. That is another plus to help even non-molting chickens get a pre-winter nutrition boost.
Thanks to the author for drawing attention to how we can help our feathered friends through a difficult ( and awkward) time. I now know why my well-meaning attempts of yesteryear to put soft hen saddles or sweaters on molting birds to “help” cover up traumatized areas of the chicken body were treated with such contempt; it’s prickly and it hurts!
May I mention a few other molting-coping ideas that have worked for me over the years?
Another thing you can do to help your flock through its molt is to treat it for mites, worms or any other common invasive problem during the late summer. I have found that by figuring that my ladies will start molting during September (which, as the article states, is not always a given but I find that if my flock is going to molt, it starts in the early fall ) relieving them of any other common health pressures helps them cope with feather loss. Regardless of the methods of treatment you use ( natural or pharmaceutical), removing irritants which themselves can cause major problems if gone unchecked helps your flock face the stress of molting time with solid health. And if you have fewer molters than you anticipated, the entire group benefits from “pest relief” !
Just like supplementing with vitamin D helps hens prepare for the laying rush of the spring, a late-summer “health tidy” is beneficial regardless. Of course, if your birds show no signs of infestation or irritation, you don’t want to medicate or meddle needlessly because that in itself can stress flock dynamics and health. I’ve just found it an option that when needed has proved helpful when dealt with pre-molt.
One other thing I try to observe is to be cautious about additional UV lighting at this time. I know of flocks who are placed under aggressive coop lighting schedules once the daylight hours begin to reduce in order to force laying. I figure that after a spring and summer under the sunshine, stimulating laying, the molt is not the time to expect stellar egg production. The article explains how egg production lessens or even stops during the molt. Observing natural light periods will cause less stress for chickens as they are facing the other challenges of molting. Just like we look forward to cozying up in the autumn, there is no reason the coop can’t be a more comforting spot. Trying to sleep with a light on when you just want to settle down should not be a molting chicken’s equivalent bother.
Back to the article, I liked its excellent focus on increased protein consumption. That is another plus to help even non-molting chickens get a pre-winter nutrition boost.
Thanks to the author for drawing attention to how we can help our feathered friends through a difficult ( and awkward) time. I now know why my well-meaning attempts of yesteryear to put soft hen saddles or sweaters on molting birds to “help” cover up traumatized areas of the chicken body were treated with such contempt; it’s prickly and it hurts!
