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The Autumn Molt - by Farmfresh

The heat and stress of summer has finally begun to subside. People are starting to venture out of the air conditioning. Across the country, schools are starting up and harvest time is here for pumpkins, apples, and grain. The breeze is cool; the dog days of summer being replaced with days that are bright and pleasant. The animals are feeling frisky.
Your flock hens made it through all of that extreme summer heat in good shape. They are laying eggs and chasing bugs just like chickens are supposed to. Then one day things begin to change. There are fewer and fewer eggs in the nest. There seem to be loose feathers blowing around in the yard along with those first few leaves. What could be the matter?

You have done everything possible to keep your poultry healthy. They have safe housing that is clean and dry, sunshine and fresh air, exercise, a balanced feed ration that includes access to fresh greens and plenty of fresh water. You monitor your flock for parasites or illness and immediately remove any sick birds. You even provide your birds with free choice oyster shell for calcium and granite grit to aid their digestion. No matter. You still find yourself with a flock full of half bald hens and not an egg in sight.

What has happened? Do not worry. What you have is a flock of … NORMAL hens.

Just as the trees shed their leaves in the fall to prepare for winter, chickens and other poultry take this time to drop out the old feathers and grow new ones to protect themselves in the winter to come. This process is called a molt.

After growing their full adult plumage chickens usually molt only once a year. This natural molt cycle can start anytime of the year, but is most common during the autumn months. There are a few individuals that will also do what is called a “vacation molt” during the summer months, where she only sheds one or two primary wing feathers and the feathers from the neck or back. The presence of pin feathers can tell you if this type of molt is occurring and not illness or stress. Some rare individuals seem to never molt. These birds always seem to maintain crisp beautiful feathers all year long. They are called slow molters and maintain their beauty by losing a few feathers at a time over the whole year. While that may be a desirable trait in a show bird or a pet it is a sure sign of a poor laying hen. If egg production is your goal, this hen needs to be removed from your flock. A good producing hen will go into her molt late and then proceed to molt rapidly, losing lots of feathers at the same time. After all of the feathers have been replaced, she will then go back into egg production rather quickly.

Some commercial egg producers do what is called a “forced molt” in which chickens are shocked into a molt by the withdraw of feed, little light or other conditions that are considered “mild environmental stress”. Chickens subjected to these conditions will begin a rapid molt and after that they are returned to production. There have been recent studies (by Brian W. Sheldon - Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA) that seem indicate a connection between the forced molt process and Salmonella. Forced molting is not a good practice for most household flocks anyway.

The final kind of molt is a stress molt. In this situation the bird looses feather in response to physical or mental stressors. Mental stress situations that can cause molting of this kind include: predators, fright, overcrowding or environmental problems such as too much or too little light. Physical stress caused by parasites, illness, poor diet, and poor management such as filth or damp conditions can also be to blame. Extreme temperatures such as a summer heat wave or blizzard can induce a stress molt, as can physical exhaustion from prolonged broodiness or being the object of attack due to status within the flock.

With the natural autumn molt there are three main factors responsible. The primary thing that induces the fall molt to begin is the shorter day length. This causes a reduced time for feeding which results in a lower body weight, however the natural completion of the laying cycle and simple physical exhaustion also contribute. It takes a lot of energy to lay all those eggs for your breakfast. Replacing feathers takes a large nutritional toll as well. Feathers contain a lot of protein. Because birds have a hard time eating and processing enough protein for both egg and feather production, egg production will cease for the length of the molt.

So now that we know what it is and what causes it, what can we do to help? Helping our hens dress for success in the winter ahead requires us to provide them with good nutrition. Feather production requires a lot of high quality protein, so increasing the protein in the ration is the first place to start.

The typical scratch grain contains between 8 and 10 percent protein, which is fine for free ranging poultry and roosters. A good laying ration contains around 16 percent protein and that is usually quite adequate for laying hens, but during molt you should consider raising the protein level even more. Switching your hens to a 20 percent protein starter ration will give them that extra boost helpful for quickly growing in those new feathers. If you like to scatter whole grain as a supplement or treat, whole wheat will provide the most protein. Corn is better fed in winter when the chickens can benefit from its high fat content to help keep them warm. Also consider giving your hens a flake of leafy legume hay to stimulate their appetites even more. Alfalfa contains lots of protein, calcium and other important nutrients and provides exercise and entertainment for the hens during a season when most grasses are going dormant. They love to scratch it apart looking for leaves, seeds and tiny bits. Providing leafy alfalfa hay during winter is a great idea as well.

If your chicken flock is of the small backyard variety, there are several treats that will boost the hen’s protein intake. Cooked meat leftovers are an obvious source of protein, as are cheeses, and other dairy products. Feed milk or yogurt in small quantities as it can cause diarrhea and do not feed more perishable treats than the hens will eat in a few hours. Some people like to feed meal worms as a treat, but regular earthworms should probably be avoided as they are a host for some of the internal parasites that attack chickens. Millet is a good high protein grain that pet chickens simply love to eat out of your hand. Feeding you chickens sprouts (like oat, clover, alfalfa, or beans) will add vitamins as well as protein to the diet and they will love you for it!

So give those hens a treat and let them enjoy a little well deserved rest. Since you now understand the process of molting, you will be better able to help you chickens recover from a season of strenuous egg laying and get properly dressed for the year ahead.