Chicken Health | FEATHER LOSS

Why Are My Chickens Losing Feathers?

If your chickens seem a little scruffy or maybe even bald in patches, don’t panic.
With a little love, a stress-free environment and access to a high protein quality layer feed your pet chickens will soon moult and be back to their full-feathered selves.

More on Moulting

 Most chickens will moult towards the end of summer and may even partially moult their neck feathers again at another time of the year. The process can seem quite slow but will normally last between 1 and 3 months. If you have heritage chickens you might be surprised at how long it takes for them to moult as they usually take longer than hybrid hens but believe us when we say that it is truly worth the wait – it is! They look better than new! Moulting uses a surprising amount of energy and can take a lot out of chickens, so ensure your chickens have access to a quality, high protein nutritionally balanced layer feed (we recommend Weston Free Range Layer or Weston Peak Layer) not just scraps and this should be available to them at all times. It takes a lot of protein to create new feathers, and hens are also building up calcium levels in their bones to replace the calcium they have lost over the year creating eggs. You can feed a little extra protein in the form of mealworms or cat jelly meat, to assist feather growth.
Chicken eggs and feathers are very high in protein. When your chickens begin moulting they need all the protein they can get to help grow back their new feathers, so most of them will stop laying to help their moult go smoothly. When your chickens are moulting always avoid stressful situations like changing your chicken coop or introducing new chickens to your flock. Another thing to remember is that when your chickens are moulting they are at a higher risk of contracting diseases, so avoid getting new chickens around this time.

Interesting Fact: A chick will go through one complete moult (1-6 weeks) and three partial moults (7-9 weeks) (12-16 weeks)
(20-22 weeks) to get to point of lay (20 to 30 weeks of age depending on breed)
To help your growing chicks cope well at this time remember to feed them the appropriate chick crumble that is high in animal proteins.
Weston Chicks Choice is high protein and energy levels designed to ensure strong growth rate and feather development.

Other Causes of Feather Loss

• Lack of protein in diet can cause feathers to break off or plucked out by other birds. Ensure your chickens are on a high protein layer feed. Be aware of organic feeds that do not contain the required animal proteins essential for optimum bird health. 
• Stress caused by a fright can cause a hen to moult of neck feathers 
• Roosters running with hens can cause the feather on your hens backs and back of heads to wear and break due to mating. Omlet Chicken Jackets are handy for hens that suffer from overzealous, rough roosters. 
• Feather wear and tear caused by every day events like grazing through a wire fence, poking heads into feeders with sharp edges, jumping in and out of nest boxes. 
•  Feathers that are broken off are not replaced until the next autumn moult.

Assist Your Flock During The Moult ☺️