If you ’ve had chickens for any length of clock time , you know they shed feathering . The periodic plume dropped around the yard is normal , with heavier feather exit occurring during the fall molt .
Most flocks recover from molting without a arrest . But there are those who come along to resist to regrow their feathers . Additionally , other things can keep them fromcompleting this all - important chore before winter , such as mitesand cannibalism .
These defenseless chickens encounter themselvesin a raft of trouble when nerveless fall day and nights abruptly turn cold and grim with the onset of winter .
Keeping these unfeathered domestic fowl quick throughout wintertime can be challenging at well . However , it ’s not unimaginable . With a petty know - how as to the causes and solutions , you could aid them in their quest to keep warm .
Causes of Feather Loss
To check the rapid growth of new feathers , the flock owner must first determine the movement of feather going . Here ’s a rundown of the most uncouth causes of feather loss .
The most common cause of feather passing is the annual molt . Fall ’s reduce daylight hours and downcast intensity sunlight set off the red ink of old plume and growth of unexampled single .
start at the foreland and working its mode down , natural molting often makes chickens look as though they had a run - in with a unsighted barber , while others merely experience small-scale balding . If you gently attract the remain feather back , you ’ll find a bandage of pinfeathers pushing to the surface to cover bare spots , with consummate renewal consume topographic point within six to 16 weeks .
Andrew Goodsell/Shutterstock
However , stress from disease , lack of piss / feed ( even for only a few hours ) , getting cool or sudden remotion of hencoop lighting can do unseasonal or unnatural molting . This tenseness - induced feather departure may not keep abreast the psyche - to - toe successiveness of yearly molting and often ensue in slower or nonexistent development of unexampled feather unless the stressor is removed .
The rock-bottom speed of feather replacement , or the lack thence , leave chickens specially prone to hurt or death as the mercury drops . It must be remedied as chop-chop as possible while incorporate significant measures to keep the lot strong .
Many volaille caretakers , particularly newbies , misdiagnose naked or patchy chicken as being in moult . However , close inspection of the spate ’s casual activities often reveals a balmy , but not harmless , form of cannibalism acknowledge as feather picking .
Andrew Goodsell/Shutterstock
Victims ordinarily have spare fleck , which at times may be severe , out of sequence with molt with little to no pinfeathers present . Should pinfeathers lead off to labor through , you ’ll find they promptly vanish . dedicate enough time , chickens can fall back so many feathers they are virtually ready for the oven .
Feather pick is usually because of bored , confined or crowded chickens — and the occasional bully — that discover the hidden joyousness find in pull another ’s feathers . Others find themselves drawn to a mass mate ’s feathers ( or their own ) in an effort to obtain much needed protein when the day-after-day protein ration is insufficient .
Even mouse and informer are pull to protein rich feathers , nibbling the close or entire feathers while Gallus gallus roost at night . Therefore , vigilant rodent removal , adequate space , a well - balanced protein - rich diet , foraging and bully remotion are all important to avert / right cannibalism . Andrew Goodsell / Shutterstock
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While technically not a word form of cannibalism , let ’s not bury the erotic love embrace of a lively rooster . While most roos cause no harm to their haremduring mating , some become overzealous and pluck or pull large quantity of a biddy ’s feather .
Should the unlucky lady be his favorite , she ’ll likely not only be wounded but bald in the heading , cervix or berm regions and need to be removed or charge until feathers are replaced .
Miteandliceinfestations also result in feather pick as chickens seek assuagement from irritation and itch . While mites are often hard to see , close review will bring out dark red , black or tan speck crawling around the vent-hole area and/or along the body , particularly around feather beam of light .
Kristi Cook
Some mites prefer to hide in the cage during the daytime , so a nighttime visit with a torch in hand to scrutinize the birds may be necessary . If you ca n’t make a chicken coop visit at nighttime , you may be able to see small hint of blood - filled mites crawling along the roost or hide out in nesting loge during the day .
Lice , on the other hand , spend their entire lives on hosts and can be promptly discovered by gently brushing feathers back and looking for tan or snowy worm crawling along the torso . You ’ll also see lice eggs , or nits , bond to the base of feathers .
Left untreated , infestations head to important feather release and break , sickly and even beat birds . sanction treatments on a regular basis change and depend on whether chicken are show skirt , nub razzing or layer . So a trip to your local vet is your best option when selecting insecticides .
Read more : When chickens slough , you should expect feathers to fly .
Promote Feather Growth
Feathers consist of approximately 85 percent protein , so feathering increment create a protein shortage when shed chickens ( or any wimp actively growing plume ) are fed the distinctive 16 percent protein layer ration . Most birds compensate for the higher protein demand by either reducing or entirely stanch bollock product until plumage is totally regrown .
However , you could help your plenty along by switching to an 18 percent protein plumage grower provender for both hen and cock over the age of 16 hebdomad . For many biddy , this modest addition is all that is needed to speed along feather ontogeny while permit better ballock production throughout the summons .
you’re able to yield to layer feed once the mess is feathered out .
In addition to switching to plume grower provender , do n’t pretermit let chickens to add on their own diet , when potential , by foraging for worm , grub and other protein - rich snacks . Offering mealworms , nonpoultry meat flake , dark wiggler , little amounts of computerized tomography nutrient or other animate being protein also works well .
Add Some Warmth
Once you ’ve determined the cause for feather loss and made adjustments , your work really commence , as I quickly discovered with my first flock . My pullets decided feather pick was great merriment just weeks before our winter turned unseasonably cold with record snow .
Not only did I have no idea what the lawsuit was , I observe myself jumble to provide trade protection when the temperature suddenly cast off to 19 academic degree F. So make plans beforehand of metre and acquire necessary materials to keep your nude chicken quick through winter .
Many of these fowl may not be able-bodied to supervene upon sufficient feather until spring arrives . SusImage / Shutterstock
Through Feed
To bide lovesome , chickens require more kilogram calorie during frigid atmospheric condition than during warm months . When significant serving of plume are missing , their energy needs are even high . To avail them fulfil these needs , always allow free - choice food for thought and heated water .
affix with a handful of scratch grain an 60 minutes or so before your lot go to rest . The added heat create during digestion will help warm up them during the night .
After my chickens go to roost , I wish to throw several fistful of scratch near their provender and piddle to get the warming effects of digestion fail again as soon as they wake in the daybreak , as well .
However , only provide enough to get them moving and digesting food . You want themto eat primarily from their high protein , feather - grower feed and pasture for any available bugs or worms they can find , if potential .
Read more : Keep your chickens cozy this winter with these cold - conditions bakshis !
Heat Lamps
Providing supplemental warmth has always been , and will continue to be , a controversial discipline among chicken owners . It ’s my own view that , in the face of compromise birds such as these , supplementary heat is necessary , as they have almost no feathers with which to envelope heat around their bodies for protection .
However , to be used properly and safely , a few pointer need to be prevent in mind .
Deep-Litter Method
If you have n’t get a line the deep - bedding material method , you ’re in for a treat . Not only does it create tremendous material for the compost / garden by bounce , it also bring forth spare rut inside the chicken coop as stuff decomposes .
In late summer , lay several inches of litter , such as pine shavings , across the coop trading floor including under the roost . As bedding material becomes mob and droppings progress up , bring a few more inches across the full area . Keep fluffed with a pitchfork or throw a bit of scratch around and let the chickens ’ pecking and scratching do the work for you .
Continue this summons until you reach a foot or more by winter . Remove any litter that becomes soaked from leaks or entranceway , and repair trouble region . Properly get by , there will be no ammonia odor / buildup or dustiness .
Read more : Click here to learn more about the deep - litter method !
Outside the Coop
Once you have the privileged mark up , rivet attending outside . As with any chicken coop design , you should have fair to middling ventilating system along the upper edges of wall . However , stuffy ventilating system holes along the due north side in moth-eaten weather while keeping southerly - face vent hollow open except during uttermost wind , blowing sleet , snow or frappe .
All window should remain closed in cold conditions , although south - facing glass / Plexiglass window should remain uncovered to take into account solar heat to fall through pane into the hencoop .
While insulate coops used in junction with other method acting may declare oneself sufficient protection to roost batch , many coops are uninsulated and require at least temporary weather barrier . Run areas also need protective measures as mickle usually ramble outside during the day despite bitterly inhuman condition .
add insulant need not be expensive or pretty , just in effect . practice what you have on hand whenever potential , as these measures are usually temporary .
Even after you get your flock safely through the winter with bright new plume , continueto monitor daily activities closely . Chickens with a discernment for feathering and coops with a account of sponger often essay to generate to their destructive ways , make yet another vicious Hz of feather release .
More Information
An effective and inexpensive direction to add insulating material is with hay bales , plyboard and tarp . To protect the coop , stack hay bales as high as potential along northern walls as a barrier against the cooling effects of wind , rainwater and sleet . To create a windbreak for the running , stack bales at least two high against the outdoor perimeter of fencing .
If your discharge is small , as with most chicken tractor , clothe the run top to bottom with with child tarps and linchpin securely at ground level to protect against blowing wind and hurriedness . However , do n’t forget to provide a few column inch of public discussion along the top of the southern fence wall to allow moist air and ammonia fumes to hightail it .
On cold-blooded - but - sunny days , pull the top of the tarp back to allow warm sunshine into the running game . Do n’t leave to shut down it back during inclement weather .
To keep the tarpaulin from ripping aside from anchor points during strong wind , secure plywood or stack hay bale along the fence perimeter 2 to 3 metrical unit high against the tarp . This added tribute also allow for a stronger windbreak for bird , because confidential information wo n’t burrow through the tarp as easily .
This article in the first place appeared in the November / December 2021 issue ofChickensmagazine .
