Molting Time

Around the barn and hen house, the ground is littered by feathers.  One by one our laying hens are molting.  They are losing their old, dull feathers and are replacing them with fresh, new feathers.  Pardon the photos today.  I'm using a new cheap-o phone camera until I get a new work phone and the photos aren't as sharp as they normally are.  But, the hen in full molt that I was trying to get a picture of was not photogenic.  She was running around quickly, embarrassed, no doubt to be caught on film an a "bad hair day."

She has only one or two tail feathers remaining.  Most of her side and back feathers are gone and you can see the prickly-looking pin feathers taking their place.  The remaining feathers on her side and neck are a dull grey and white, rather than the black and white coloration that the Barred Rock usually has.

The hen looks like she's having a bad day, doesn't she?  You can even see her pink flesh on her rear-end since she's featherless there.  Molting is a normal thing with chickens, especially during the fall. The days get shorter and even in south Louisiana, it will get cooler.  The Good Lord knows that the hens will need quality feathers to help them get through the winter cold.  Also, we've noticed that our egg production has fallen off.  This is because the hens are redirecting their energy from laying eggs to growing new feathers.  The Creator has that all figured out.  It is marvelous the way it all works!

In a short time the molting hen will put on new feathers and will look like the hen in the foreground and also the one in the top left in the photo below.

You can see the difference.  The feathers are bolder in color and they are fluffier and thicker.  The bird just looks healthier.  While the birds are molting, we've put out a higher protein Laying ration that will give them nutrients they need during this time of change.