# Hard molt during winter?



## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

I have been dreading this happening because only two of my hens have molted this year and I really wanted them to get er done before it got too cold.

Poor Carmel looked fine yesterday. Let the chickens out into their run this morning and all was well. Came back with treats several hours later and there were feathers literally everywhere! If you pick her up and set her down, feathers go everywhere. It is like they are all trying to drop all at once. Her bottom is all bare. It isn’t going to get out of the 20’s and 30’s at night probably until spring.

Will a hard molting hen be fine in those temps? I really don’t want to weaken the flock by giving them supplemental heat right now, but….


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I really don't know what to suggest outside of supplemental heat for her. Put where she roosts. It doesn't have to be a heat lamp but a red 60 watt incandescent bulb should work. 

Hopefully, she'll get a move on and replace those feathers fast.


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

She'll be fine. As fast as those feathers are coming out they'll be filling back in quickly. I wouldn't worry about it. Chickens are surprisingly hardy when it comes to cold weather.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You can give molting birds gamebird feed which contains higher protein. Gamebird feed will help with feather regrowth since feathers are made from protein. It will help deter feather eating as well. Once your birds are re-feathered, wean them off the gamebird feed back to regular layer feed.
One group of my chickens are in hard molt and I'm currently feeding them gamebird feed.


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> I have been dreading this happening because only two of my hens have molted this year and I really wanted them to get er done before it got too cold.
> 
> Poor Carmel looked fine yesterday. Let the chickens out into their run this morning and all was well. Came back with treats several hours later and there were feathers literally everywhere! If you pick her up and set her down, feathers go everywhere. It is like they are all trying to drop all at once. Her bottom is all bare. It isn’t going to get out of the 20’s and 30’s at night probably until spring.
> 
> ...


Give her lots of protein like eggs or mealworms .


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Molt problems are pretty common and you've gotten lots of good advice. Feathers grow in fast so don't worry. Some of mine are late to molt too. The weather has gone from hot to cold and colder way too fast.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

dawg53 said:


> You can give molting birds gamebird feed which contains higher protein. Gamebird feed will help with feather regrowth since feathers are made from protein. It will help deter feather eating as well. Once your birds are re-feathered, wean them off the gamebird feed back to regular layer feed.
> One group of my chickens are in hard molt and I'm currently feeding them gamebird feed.


My whole flock has been on either multi flock or chick starter/grower since spring—-depending on what I can find in stock. I never put them back on layer feed because of my roosters, turkeys, and young birds. So, technically they are already on a higher protein feed.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

danathome said:


> Molt problems are pretty common and you've gotten lots of good advice. Feathers grow in fast so don't worry. Some of mine are late to molt too. The weather has gone from hot to cold and colder way too fast.


It seems like she is doing the quick, microwave version of chicken molting! She dropped feathers insanely fast, but I felt through her feathers today and it is all pin feathers underneath! So she isn’t wasting time! Lol

Yeah, we did have some weird weather here too. Hot and dry all summer, and then wetter than wet turned cold.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

robin416 said:


> I really don't know what to suggest outside of supplemental heat for her. Put where she roosts. It doesn't have to be a heat lamp but a red 60 watt incandescent bulb should work.
> 
> Hopefully, she'll get a move on and replace those feathers fast.


She seems to be holding out okay…been snuggling up next to the other hens at night pretty well. As of today the poor thing has no tail, and a body full of pin feathers!


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