Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: viettaclark on October 17, 2009, 01:36

Title: Moulting info
Post by: viettaclark on October 17, 2009, 01:36

Wondered if there was a thread or if anyone can tell me, please, about moulting? Eg. what age it happens, how often, partial/full moult, effects on laying and health and so on? Can't seem to find one? Thanks guys!

Title: Re: Moulting info
Post by: Oliveview on October 17, 2009, 08:49

My Rhode Island Reds moulted badly last year (around this time) and went off lay for a few months :ohmy:  That was their ´first´ big moult.  This year they are moulting but not quite so bad, one has a bare chest, but out of 14 hens I am getting around 10-12 eggs a day still (fingers crossed)  The White leghorns are moulting too, there are feathers everywhere.  They (5 of them) are giving me just 1 egg a day, they had not been laying that long before they started to moult. 
I think they need to ´save´ their energy for the newly forming feathers, so egg laying isn´t so important to them.
Pamela