Why laying hens start molting, what and when to give at home

Many poultry farmers raise chickens so that they can enjoy home-grown eggs all year round. Some people experience shedding in laying hens. This can happen due to natural processes in the body or due to diseases.

Types and periods of molting

There are three periods of molting, the features of which must be familiarized in advance.

Juvenile (primary)

Juvenile molt is a molt in which the feathers begin to gradually replace. During primary molting, completely bare areas should not appear on the hen's body. New feathers should be covered with old ones, which will fall off over time. The beginning of juvenile molting is indicated by a reddish tint at the base of the feathers.

The most noticeable red spotting is on the feathers that are on the head. On the back and other parts of the body, color changes are almost invisible.

Periodic (seasonal)

It's no secret that adult chickens molt periodically. This process occurs annually. The change of plumage begins in the fall, in mid-October and continues until December. However, in some chickens, molting lasts longer by 1-2 months.

If the bird has a weakened body and is seriously underweight, feather replacement begins earlier - in early July. All this continues for four and a half months. In this case, the feathering of the neck is first replaced, and only after that all other parts of the body begin to molt.

Because of illness

If the chickens do not lay eggs and their feathers begin to disappear, it means that molting has begun due to the development of diseases in the body. The feather covering begins to disappear due to the following reasons:

• tick attack;
• the appearance of fleas.

If nothing is done, diseases will begin to develop, and over time the hens will stop laying eggs completely and may even die. Therefore, it is recommended to seek help from a veterinarian so that he can examine the birds and determine the exact cause of the shedding.

When does laying hens start molting?

Before you start breeding chickens, you need to figure out when they start molting. For the first time, young chickens begin to shed their plumage in the second year of life.Most often this occurs in the autumn, but sometimes fledging occurs in winter. Repeated feather shedding begins 60-70 weeks after the initial molt.

If feathers fall off too often, more than 2-3 times per season, it means the bird has health problems. They can appear due to poor nutrition, vitamin deficiency, or the development of skin diseases, due to which the plumage weakens.

Food for moulting birds

During molting, the body of birds is greatly weakened and consumes a lot of energy. Therefore, it is recommended to create the right diet to ensure a continuous supply of vitamins and other useful components.

Experts recommend saturating chickens’ bodies with manganese and iodine. These microelements are found in beets, berries and grass. Chickens also need to be fed insects and earthworms daily. It is contraindicated to feed raw potatoes, as they impair digestion. It is better to use boiled vegetables instead.

Bird care

A molting bird must be properly cared for. Poultry farmers who have been raising chickens for many years recommend keeping the chickens in the coop longer during the molting process. If you let them out into the street, you need to equip the pen with additional protection from rain.

When chickens begin to shed their feathers, you need to clean the coop more often. If this is not done, parasites and bacteria will begin to develop in the feathers, which can infect chickens in the future. Also, during molting, you should not physically contact the hens and change the composition of the flock.

Methods to speed up the process

There are several methods to speed up molting in birds.

Food after molting

After molting, experts advise giving chickens special food, which contains a lot of vitamins D, A and B.This food is made from fodder beets, fresh grass and boiled vegetable fruits. After molting is completed, wood ash, shells, cottage cheese and chalk are added to the diet.

Protein supplements

To speed up the shedding of old plumage and the growth of new feathers, you need to feed chickens with protein supplements. However, you should not use too much protein, as this negatively affects the egg production of chickens. To ensure that birds get more protein, soybeans, alfalfa and fish remains are added to the diet.

Artificial molting: why and how it is caused

Sometimes poultry farmers have to induce molting themselves at home.

Chemical method

When using the chemical method, chickens are given special drugs that stop the laying of eggs. They also stop ovulation and slow down the formation of hormones. All this leads to a change in plumage.

Hormonal method

In this case, the birds are given special hormonal drugs, which include Thyroxine and Progesterone. If you regularly give such products, the hormones will slow down the secretion, and the chickens will stop laying eggs. Molting caused by hormones is gentle and without any problems.

Zootechnical (classical) method

The classical method excludes the use of medications. Shedding is caused by artificial stress, which is provoked by stimuli such as bright lighting or a sharp loud sound.

Conclusion

People who want to raise chickens in the future should become more familiar with molting. To do this, you need to understand the main periods of feather shedding and the peculiarities of caring for the bird during the change of plumage.