Chickens 🐔 Losing Feathers 🪶 & Not Laying Eggs 🥚 ? It's Molting (Here's How to Help)

Chickens losing feathers and not laying eggs? If your coop suddenly looks like a pillow fight happened and your hens have gone scruffy, half bald, and stopped laying, there's a good chance your flock is molting. In this video I explain chicken molting in plain terms: what it is, why it happens every fall, what a normal molt looks like, and the simple things you can do to help your backyard chickens get through it faster and healthier. Molting is how chickens replace their old, worn-out feathers with a fresh new coat before winter. The main trigger is shorter daylight hours in late summer and fall, which is why most backyard chicken keepers see feather loss show up somewhere between late August and November. Age plays a part too. Young pullets go through quick juvenile molts as chicks, but their first big adult molt usually doesn't happen until they're around 18 months old. That's why your older hens might look rough while your younger birds keep their feathers. I also walk through what a normal molt looks like so you know what to expect. Feather loss usually starts at the head and neck, moves down the back, across the breast and thighs, and finishes with the wings and tail. Some hens go through a soft molt and lose feathers so gradually you barely notice. Others go through a hard molt and can look almost naked in a matter of days. Both are normal. Most molts last around 8 to 12 weeks, and you'll know regrowth is underway when you see pin feathers, the little spiky quills poking through the skin. Those pin feathers are sensitive, so a molting hen may be a bit grumpy and not want to be handled. So why do chickens stop laying eggs during a molt? It comes down to protein. Feathers are made almost entirely of protein, and your hen's body puts feather growth ahead of egg production. The drop in eggs is temporary, and most hens start laying again once their new feathers are in. Shorter winter days can keep egg production low for a while after that, so be patient. Here's how to help your chickens during molting season: Bump up the protein by switching to a higher protein feed in the 18 to 20 percent range, and keep oyster shell available on the side for calcium Offer high protein treats like dried mealworms, black soldier fly larvae, or scrambled eggs, but keep treats to around 10 percent of their diet Keep stress low by avoiding big changes, coop moves, or adding new birds to the flock during a molt Keep molting hens dry and out of drafts with good ventilation up high and no wind blowing across the roost Hold off on supplemental lighting until the molt is finished Not every bald spot is a molt, though, so I also cover how to tell molting apart from other problems. Mites and lice can cause feather loss too, so check around the vent and under the wings for crawling bugs, clusters of eggs at the base of the feathers, or red, scabby skin. Feather pecking and bullying can leave raw or bloody patches, and hens kept with a rooster often get bare backs from mating. I also explain what to do if a blood feather breaks and starts bleeding, since chickens are drawn to red and may start pecking at an injured bird. A healthy molting chicken is still eating, drinking, and acting mostly normal. If a bird is lethargic, hunched up, not eating, or has sores along with the feather loss, something else is going on and it deserves a closer look. Once the molt wraps up, you'll usually see your hens come back glossy, full-feathered, and ready for cold weather. Understanding the molting cycle makes fall chicken care much less stressful, and it helps you plan ahead for the seasonal slowdown in egg production every year. Whether you're a first-time backyard chicken keeper watching your first fall molt or you've kept a flock for years and want a refresher, this video will help you understand what's normal, what's not, and how to support your hens until their new feathers come in and the eggs start coming back. Tell me in the comments: are your chickens molting right now, and who's the scruffiest bird in your flock? I'd love to hear about it. If this video helped you, give it a like and subscribe to Raise Your Own Chickens for more practical backyard chicken tips on raising chicks, egg laying, flock health, coop care, and seasonal chicken keeping. New videos are on the way, so hit the bell so you don't miss them. Subscribe here:    / @raiseyourownchickens   #ChickenMolting #BackyardChickens #raisingchickensforeggs ================================================================== GEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND FOR YOUR CHICKEN KEEPING JOURNEY Hatortempt 5lb Dried Mealworms for Chickens & Wild Birds, Chicken Feed: https://link.amazon/B0hQs48kj DISCLAIMER: The links above are affiliate links, where we will earn a small percentage of every sale from Amazon.