What is Molting and Why do Chickens do it?

Hey everybody! Thank you for spending a few minutes with me. I don’t know about you or where you live but we are enjoying some cooler and less humid days as we journey into autumn and I am so grateful.

Summer on the farm is HOT, humid, long, busy and hot. Did I mention hot? It is hot. VERY hot. And when I’m hot so are the cows, chickens and pigs. And if I need a drink of water they definitely need a drink of water. So summer consists of a lot of watering, feeding, rotating to new pasture and just plain old grunt work. Plus garden and canning work. And when I see summer fading into the background and taking with it the humidity and oppressiveness? I’m so thankful.

Autumn ushers in a time of rest. Rest for the humans, rest for the land and rest for the chickens. Around Labor Day each year adult chickens begin their molt. What is THE MOLT you ask? That’s when they lose their old feathers and grow new feathers (you’ll see feathers laying around everywhere but don’t be frightened - this is natural). It’s a tedious process that takes about 12 weeks and, I’m sure, is not exactly what they want to do for those 12 weeks. I’m sure it’s a little painful for those weeks to actually grow feathers - I imagine it’s like your kids’ teething. Some of our chickens get a little grumpy and moody but for the most part they’re okay with it. They always seem happy with the result and they do look smashing with the new, improved feathers! 😄

So why do they molt? Chickens molt for their health. Their skin needs to be protected from the elements and the feathers do just that. Chickens’ feathers help keep them warm in the winter, cool in the summer and are pretty much completely water-proof. But in order to be waterproof and the best they can be, the chickens need to get rid of the old feathers and grow new ones.

When do they molt? Chickens go through multiple molts in their lives - from losing their baby “downy” feathers at about 2 weeks of age on. But the major molts for their lives begin usually around 15-18 months of age and will happen each year when the temperatures get a little cooler and hours of sunlight decrease. That’s usually in the early fall. And that’s a gift from God because then they are done with their molt just in time for the cold weather and snow of winter. Isn’t He amazing??? Just like Jesus said and Matthew recorded in Matthew 6:25-26, God takes care of even the birds. The exact time of your chickens’ molt might differ slightly depending on where you live but here in East Tennessee, as I said before, the molt usually begins around the first of September. In commercial poultry farming operations many producers force the molt by removing food and light from their flock for 7-14 days which stresses their bodies into molting. This is obviously a cruel and terrifying practice which has been banned in many countries around the world (but not here in the USA). It’s yet another reason you need to know where your food comes from and how what you’re eating lived and was raised. Here at Bales Farms we would NEVER starve or withhold nutrients from an animal (human or nonhuman). As a matter of fact Marshall lost first place in a chicken show a few years ago because Miss Blue was “a little overweight”. We were told to put her on a diet before the next beauty pageant. THANKFULLY Miss Blue did not hear those condemning words and she is continuing her life as a retired beauty queen on pasture enjoying all the grass, bugs and fruits and veggies she wants.

So what do you do when your girls are in the molting process? Well when they are molting chickens need all the protein they can get, really, because it takes a lot of protein and nutrients to grow actual feathers. They will decrease their activity level, and in my experience, their food and water intake as well. But keep everything available because they do need food and water during this season of life. They need to be able just to rest and recuperate. 

Chickens won’t lay eggs during the molt (or at least will lay about 90% less). You’ll need patience for the 8-12 weeks of the molt (I put the 8 in there even though for us it’s ALWAYS 12 weeks) because you won’t get any eggs. It takes a lot to grow new feathers! BE PATIENT! And kind. Kindness matters in life. To humans and chickens.

And then as the beauty of autumn gives way to the chills of winter you will start to see beautiful, healthy chickens who are excited and full of energy. You’ll have a slight increase in egg production and everybody will be happy happy happy.

So that’s the easy and simple answer to the molting question. Chickens need it for their health. And if you’re patient there will be eggs at the end of the molt.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. Let me know if you have any questions!

Aliceson