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 breed, adult chickens will generally moult once a year for a period of approximately 90 days. This estimated time frame of the moulting process of chickens depends on the nutrition of the bird, with better fed chickens moulting in less duration. Moulting occurs during the fall with some breeds moulting once in two years or twice a year.
The moulting time in the fall is variable, depending on when the chicken originally begins to lay her eggs. But from the moment of her hatching, the chick's early life will begin with a series of moulting stages until it reaches eight months of age, known as the pullet chicken, where the egg-laying stages will begin:
Stage One: this complete moulting stage occurs from 1 to 6 weeks of age. Stage Two: a partial moulting stage will occur at 7 to 9 weeks of age. Stage Three: another partial moulting stage will occur at 12 to 16 weeks of age Stage Four: the final partial moulting stage occurs at 20 to 22 weeks of age when the tail feathers will growORDER OF THE MOULT
Moulting is a planned natural process which leaves bare patches of skin in between patches of lost feathers, giving the chicken a rather "scruffy" look. With the first feathers dropping from the head and neck, the following areas will be from the body area, followed by the wings and tail. Egg production will not cease until the primary feathers of the wing feathers begin leaving, with excellent layers continuing laying eggs up to that point.
Before moulting, the feathers of the chicken are small and hard with a very tattered or frayed look about them. But once the moulting is complete, the new feathers are much softer and larger, with a much whiter and fuller appearance about them. With the new quill of the new feather taking about 6 to 7 weeks to develop, the moult is not considered complete until all primary flight feathers are completely replaced.