All My Bantams are molting and they seem so out of sorts just sitting around looking miserable with thier new feathers looking like porcupine quills. Ive had chickens for 6 years and have allways wondered every year if it hurts when they molt???
Is it painful when chickens Molt??
I don't think it hurts--but I think it is very draining. They are just wiped out--like being anaemic--and depressed not to be able to preen properly.
I think if it actually hurt they would be more agitated and picky. But no one has told me--so maybe they are just stoical little soldiers?
It's just disturbing to see my fiesty old english so sad do you think theres anything i could give them to help???????
From what I understand they need to funnel all their energy into growing feathers--so they need to be quiet. But I imagine upping their protein a little would help--I also know with laying breeds you are suppose to select birds that go through their molt quickly to breed from. There is a way of looking at how they molt out their primaries to tell how fast they molt: In Damerow:
"Culling by Molt: You can determine how long a hen has been molting, and how long she will continue to molt, by examining her primary, or flight feathers--the largest feathers, running from the tip of the wing to the short axial feather that separate the primary from the secondary feathers. The ten primaries drop out at 2 week intervals and take approximately 6 weeks to regrow.
The primaries of a slow molter drop out one by one, requiring up to 24 weeks for the wing to fully refeather. A fast molter drops more than one feather at a time. Feathers that fall out as a group grow back as a group, letting the hen more quickly complete her molt and return to production. Culling slow molters that drop one feather at a time is one way you can keep you flock's production average up"
Then she has a helpful diagram showing what she means. Not that I would ever do it--and if your aim isn't egg production I can't seem much advantage--but interesting to know.
By the way, I have now had two unrelated pullets who grew 2 long pointy sickle feathers and then molted them out at 4 months. So early sickle feathers aren't the best way to judge rooness early. In fact, all my dual-purpose roos start with much shorter tails than the pullets.
Facinateing and no i wouldn't cull my hens are too valueble as OEG are raised for looks only and not egg production in fact some are very lazy layers and it will take me awhile just to get a good setting. Mine usally all molt at the same time and resume laying at the same time. I will try a little more protein i hadn't thought of that.
I don't think molting hurts, but I do think htat new feathers that are just growing in may be sensitive.
Slightly related question--my Silkie Riley who had Wryneck treated with Vit E and Selenium, always looks a little dandruffy. I thought maybe it had something to do with her not being able to preen with a crooked neck--but the other day I thought I better check and make sure she didn't have lice.
Nope, no lice. But I can now see that the sheath on her feathers does not fall off normally. If you rub them between your fingers they sort of break up--some into powder--and free the feathers. But it does not happen as naturally as in the other chickens. She has also been a little slow to feather out completely--so getting puffier day by day, but not as puffy as other Silkies her age (she is about 16 weeks).
Do you think this is a metabolic problem and is there anything I can do about it--nutritional supplements, hand grooming? She is always a little prickly feeling because of the retained sheaths and she doesn't really like you taking them off--though she will tolerate it.
ahhhhhhhh i Don't have a clue i know my chickens preen alot but i thought the sheaths just fell off when they shake you know like a dog. Mine will preen and tickle thier greaser and spread out the oil as my son calls it zipping up thier feathers then they do the shake. Does she nether preen or shake if so then maybe thats why shes not loseing them you could try a very soft baby brush to help her out.
OF COURSE IT HURTS!
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CF
Well, I guess that is your answer.
I went out and tried to work out what was going on with Riley's feathers and realized that all her feathers still have their sheaths--it is like she has a little coat of armor on under her feathers. Really weird. It must be uncomfortable. I started to break them down and she twitched every time I did. The feathers themselves appear norman (for a Silkie) but her sheaths just hang on. When I get back from Brazil I will really work her over and see how things go.