# Molting



## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

I have 16 hens 11 are the same age and had started laying. That has since stopped with the exception of 1. They haven't laid more than 1 egg for about a month. Today I noticed my welsummer and an astralorp who I think are molting. It's mostly their neck and their tail feathers that are gone but their comb is pretty pale and they look so much smaller than they used to be. I checked for lice and mites and nothing. Just gave them some scrambled eggs and have been giving them some cracked corn here and there and some game bird feed. Anything else I should be doing?


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

Do you give them lay ration?


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

Yes they get laying crumble/mash


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

My EE hens stopped laying long before and after molt so that's probably what it is


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I still don't understand why chickens wait til this time of year to molt. I have been eggless for quite a while.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Dont worry Cheermom, everything is normal. In the spring you'll notice their combs turning bright red, a sign of good things to come....eggs, and the egg song lol.
Winter is a time of rest for chickens. The decrease in daylight hours, cooler/colder temps, molt, and decreased or no egg laying are all part of it.
Gamebird feed has higher protein content than regular layer feed. It's okay to give it to them while they are in molt, it will help with feather regrowth. Once they are almost feathered out, wean them off the gamebird feed back to regular layer feed and cut back on the cracked corn while you're at it. Too much gamebird feed can lead to articular gout in layers and meat birds.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> I still don't understand why chickens wait til this time of year to molt. I have been eggless for quite a while.


Eggs? What's that, something you eat? Hahahaha!


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

Even if combs are turning pale? They look so small compared to what they were.


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

Thank you!!! I’m our areas 4H Poultry leader so I should know all these things but it’s my first year having chickens. And they had been doing so good compared to my friends chickens until now!! Can’t wait for egg city!!!


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

I don't think my red stars stopped laying this year they are almost 1 and a half and still laying like crazy!


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

Steinwand said:


> My EE hens stopped laying long before and after molt so that's probably what it is


My ee is the only one that is laying and just started laying about 2 weeks ago! So maybe she's thru her molting. She took waaay longer to lay than the rest!


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

Haha yeah my EEs are free loading slackers


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

cheermom4L said:


> Even if combs are turning pale? They look so small compared to what they were.


Wait til spring. The combs will swell to bright red getting ready for egg production, blood flowing. Remember, it's all about the "birds and bees" in springtime, everything comes alive! If you have a rooster, he'll be chasing his favorite hens and treading them. Watch the roosters legs for red streaks, that means his hormones are flowing and he's ready to mate.
I've only owned one EE, and she was a late egg layer all the time no matter what.
I'm ordering 5 chicks in the spring and one of them will be an EE. The rest will be standard and heavy breeds.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Steinwand said:


> I don't think my red stars stopped laying this year they are almost 1 and a half and still laying like crazy!


I've owned both Red Stars and Black Stars. They are superb layers. I've found that Red Stars are also abit bossy and hard headed lol. I havnt had that issue with Black Stars. 
Some folks say just the opposite lol.
Your Red Star's will go into hard molt next fall.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I put a heat lamp in my coop and mine are laying again.I hate messing with their biorhythms but it is so cold the heated waterer was icing up.It only works down to 0.


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

dawg53 said:


> Wait til spring. The combs will swell to bright red getting ready for egg production, blood flowing. Remember, it's all about the "birds and bees" in springtime, everything comes alive! If you have a rooster, he'll be chasing his favorite hens and treading them. Watch the roosters legs for red streaks, that means his hormones are flowing and he's ready to mate.
> I've only owned one EE, and she was a late egg layer all the time no matter what.
> I'm ordering 5 chicks in the spring and one of them will be an EE. The rest will be standard and heavy breeds.


Thanks for the reassurance! My friend is hatching us some lavender orpingtons right now. Due to hatch Monday!!! I'm probably getting a whole mother flock in spring lol. I bought 3 pastel easter eggers supposed to lay pinks and blues. Of course they all turned out to be Roos


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

chickenqueen said:


> I put a heat lamp in my coop and mine are laying again.I hate messing with their biorhythms but it is so cold the heated waterer was icing up.It only works down to 0.


I've thought about it but I'm in San Diego so it's not too cold but definitely gets dark around 4:30 or 5. Maybe I'll make my hubby do it tonight. I keep asking him and then we get side tracked lol.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

cheermom4L said:


> Thanks for the reassurance! My friend is hatching us some lavender orpingtons right now. Due to hatch Monday!!! I'm probably getting a whole mother flock in spring lol. I bought 3 pastel easter eggers supposed to lay pinks and blues. Of course they all turned out to be Roos


Lavender Orps? Lucky! Did you see how much Meyer's wants for Lavenders?


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

To much!


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## cheermom4L (May 12, 2016)

No I didn’t see!!! I’m hoping to get 2 from this hatch $10 each and she’s getting another round of fertilized eggs she found on Facebook. So I’ll probably take 2 more  I can’t wait!


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