Bad Feather Day - Molting

November has come to an end, and December is here with the temperatures growing colder. This is not the best time of the year for our chickens to start molting. Actually, some of them started back in October.

What is molting you ask? Every year mature chickens lose their feathers and grow new ones. It's like getting a new winter coat, rather than using the old worn out one. That new winter coat will help the chicken stay warmer throughout the winter.

Golden Lace Wyandotte molting.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2015

What does molting looks like? It's looks like a fox snuck into the coop, grabbed a chicken, started plucking her, and then she managed to get away still partially feathered. Feathers litter the ground but most are inside the hen house. (Our chicken yard is fully protected with fencing all around, including the roof, so I know there hasn't been a stealthy fox in the pen.)

The problem is when chickens molt, they stop laying eggs. Their bodies are working overtime trying to grow new feathers and need all the nutrients for this process.

Okay, Hens Nest Inn girls hurry up and get those new feathers. Let the egg laying resume.