I do feel that my second only post on Steemit should be introducing myself in a little more detail than in my first ever #introduceyourself post. However I have received several emails today from new chicken owners via my webpage Bellecross Hens asking the same question -"What is wrong with my hen? "
Moulting - it's that time of year again when the poultry houses are covered in feathers and the birds are wandering around 'oven ready'
MOULTING:
All birds go through an annual moult. A time when old feathers are lost and new feathers re grow. To see it for the first time can be quite alarming.
The first sign your birds are beginning to moult is usually a drop in egg production as they will need all their energy and reserves to grow new feathers, especially protein. So despite the lack of eggs ensure you feed your birds a good quality feed of at least 16% protein at this time.
You will also notice their combs turn pale and shrink, however during the moult your birds should behave normally so if they look hunched up, quiet and out of sorts they may well have other health issues.
The replacement feathers will be full of blood as they grow, so if you keep your birds in a fairly confined area be aware of possible feather pecking. Also for them handling at this time can be quite uncomfortable
The most obvious sign, of course, is feather loss. For some birds this appears to be minimal (even though all birds loose the same amount of feathers, in the same order of loss) for others it is quite dramatic and they can wander around for what seems like forever looking 'oven ready'. Most birds however lie somewhere between the two. Before long they will all look a picture of health again and once the days grow longer they will come back into lay.
