# Molting



## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

So my neighbors chickens molted for about 3-4 months, it's been 2 months since they've molted and she hasn't seen an egg and all her hens are fully feathered and perky. Is this because she's not feeding them the right things after they molted or is it just taking their little bodies this long to recover


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Shorter days usually means a decrease in egg production.Putting some artificial lights in the coop helps.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Mine quit laying a few months ago.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I'm still 8-10 a day!


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I havnt seen an egg in 2 weeks lol. Had to buy a couple dozen eggs while grocery shopping yesterday morning before the bad weather. This is the first time in about 3 years that I've had to buy eggs. 
Age, weather/temps, time of year, feed, stress plays a role in egg laying. My BR's are 3 years old, BSL's are 2 years old.
I will most likely get rid of these birds later this year and get chicks the following year.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I get a dozen or so a day from 30 hens.Not good but not bad considering it's January.I even have a broody hen.She keeps changing nests and if she doesn't stay put this time-game over.I have thrown out 3 other clutches and it's a waste of good eggs.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

CQ, can you block off the other nests with a piece of plywood or something, leaving only one nest box open for your broody? Or perhaps separate her somehow with one nest box?


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## Fire-Man (Sep 5, 2016)

brandon_thomas247 said:


> So my neighbors chickens molted for about 3-4 months, it's been 2 months since they've molted and she hasn't seen an egg and all her hens are fully feathered and perky. Is this because she's not feeding them the right things after they molted or is it just taking their little bodies this long to recover


 Age has a lot to do with them laying. My hens are almost a year old. 16 of them, I been getting 8 to 13 per day all winter. I will hatch new chicks in a few months to replace them about fall. I never keep a hen over 2 years old.


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## Fire-Man (Sep 5, 2016)

chickenqueen said:


> I get a dozen or so a day from 30 hens.Not good but not bad considering it's January.I even have a broody hen.She keeps changing nests and if she doesn't stay put this time-game over.I have thrown out 3 other clutches and it's a waste of good eggs.


 I never have that problem, because if I am going to set her-----I move her to a private hatching pen. She does not be bothered, never gets in the wrong nest(only one) I do not have to mark eggs and look under her every day. 72 set last year, all 72 hatched with great hatch results(about 100%).

If you leave her with the others----when she gets off her nest to go eat, etc-----when she comes back to her nest and another hen is on her nest laying a egg----she see's eggs in the next nest so she sits on them----then the hen in her box lays and leaves----then the incubating eggs die. I got tired of that.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I'm not too worried about them hatching,I don't want more chickens.I'm letting her go to get it out of her system.She's almost 3 y o and it's the first time she went broody.When the coop is cleaned Saturday,I'm throwing them and her out.I'll try candling them Friday night just in case...


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## Fire-Man (Sep 5, 2016)

chickenqueen said:


> I'm not too worried about them hatching,I don't want more chickens.I'm letting her go to get it out of her system.She's almost 3 y o and it's the first time she went broody.When the coop is cleaned Saturday,I'm throwing them and her out.I'll try candling them Friday night just in case...


Throwing a hen out does not stop them from being broody. You can put her in a "broody breaker cage" set-up properly and 3 days later it will be out her system. Good Luck


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