To understand the moulting process of chickens requires a full awareness of their natural processes where they shed and then develop new feathers. A method which better protects the birds from the bitterness of the winter cold and to better escape their enemies through flight, unfortunately the moulting process of chickens is also a temporary decline of their egg laying production.

This decrease in the hen's egg laying production is the result of a complete rest of the bird's reproduction system. Also, molting male cockerals or roosters are infertile during their rest times, with care given to prevent them from losing more than 25% of their bodyweight. During moulting, this can lead to complete sterility. For both sexes, the natural moulting of chickens involves total transformation. When their system is resting, the body of the chicken is not only renewing its feathers but also building up a reserve of nutrients for the coming months.

WHY CHICKENS MOULT

Basically, moulting is a natural process to keep chickens cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Looking rather sickly with their egg production down, chickens will moult to remove their old feathers, renewing them with healthier and fuller feathers to keep the chicken warm for the upcoming cooler times that are soon approaching. The natural moulting process of chickens usually will begin in March or April if they moult annually.

Completed around July, there are specific things which trigger a chicken's moulting process: a completion of the hen's specific laying cycle; disease; parasites; stress; food deficiencies; fatigue; excessive heat or cold; physical exhaustion; a reduction of day length (less feeding times causing low body weights); and mismanagement which leads to overcrowding, insufficient feed and water, improper vaccinations, and so forth.

The feathers that are on the birds during the summer are usually the same ones they have developed from previous moulting processes. With the heat of the summer causing them to get overly hot, they begin loosing the smaller feathers closer to their bodies and under the larger feathers in order to cool their bodies. But as the temperatures decrease toward fall, they will grow new feathers to keep them warm during the coming months. Quality food must be given to the birds during this time to help their bodies adequately grow new feathers and to maintain and develop more nutrients.

TIMES OF MOULTING FOR CHICKENS

Depending on the poultry

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