Every fall maximum chickens undergo an annual molt, right through which a sparkly new set of feathers replaces their earlier plumage. Throughout the molt, vitamins used to provide eggs are diverted to generating feathers. Consequently, laying slows, or ceases altogether. The most efficient layers molt rapid and livid, as though in a rush to get again to the trade of laying. The lazier hens molt slowly, and subsequently lay fewer eggs over the years. You’ll be able to resolve which is which via staring at the molting collection in chickens.
Molting Series
The molting collection in chickens all the time happens in a selected order. First to resume are the top feathers. Then, so as, feathers at the again, breast, stern, thighs, and wings. Closing are the tail feathers.
The easier layers most often lay for a yr or extra prior to molting. And so they normally take between 14 and 16 weeks to finish the molt.
The poorer layers would possibly lay for just a few months prior to going right into a molt. And their molt would possibly take so long as six months to finish. As a result of they drop and substitute a couple of feathers at a time, your lazier hens generally tend to all the time glance swish and glossy.
Pin Feathers
You’ll be able to gauge the period of the molting collection to your chickens via staring at for newly rising pin feathers on each and every hen, in particular the top as molting starts, and the tail as molting is finishing. Pin feathers are also known as blood feathers, as a result of they comprise a provide of protein-rich blood to nourish the rising feather.
The blood-filled pin feathers, particularly the extremely visual ones across the tail and alongside the again, would possibly draw in choosing. Selecting happens since the pickers crave further protein right through the molt.
Since your higher layers drop extra feathers at a time, they generally tend to have extra concentrated pin feathers. They’re subsequently much more likely to be the goals of choosing, which may end up in cannibalism.
After the Molt
As soon as a feather is totally shaped, the blood provide recedes and no additional feather expansion happens. So an absolutely shaped feather that breaks remains damaged till the following molt. As a result of your higher layers stay their feathers longer, their plumage would possibly glance fairly tough as the following molt approaches.
Whether or not a rooster is a lazy gradual molter or a extra productive rapid molter, after the molt, her talent to transform feed into eggs will reinforce. Additionally her eggs will probably be greater and their high quality will probably be higher than they had been previous to the molt.
Useful Hyperlinks
Find out how to Lend a hand Your Chickens Thru a Molt
And that’s lately’s information from the Cackle Coop.
Gail Damerow has written a lot of books about retaining poultry, lots of them to be had from the Cackle Book shop. The molting collection representation is from Storey’s Information to Elevating Chickens.