Emergency Care for Molting Chickens

Supposably the annual fall molt should go smoothly and without issue, but if you have raised chickens for any length of time, you will know that they love to keep life interesting! Knowing when to step in and administer emergency care to molting chickens is essential for when your flock is going through their molt. Most of the time your flock will make it through their molt without any incidents, however you should always be prepared for when an accident or change in condition does occur. Whether it’s first aid or chicken management, these emergency care tips will help you ensure your flock makes it through a sucessful and uneventful molt!

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#1. Torn and/or Bloody Feathers

One of the most common issue you may encournter during the molting season is torn or bloody feathers. As a brief overview, when chickens go through a molt they gradually loose their old feathers and grow in new feathers. The process of growing new feathers is a fragile and sensitive ordeal.

New feathers that are just growing are called pinfeathers. Starting off, pinfeathers are small and continually nourished with a high supply of blood. Once the feather is fully formed and no longer needs to grow, the blood supply is lessened.

Because pinfeathers have such a high concentration of blood flowing to them, pressure can cause them to get torn and thus start bleeding. Due to the sensitivity of these new feathers growing in, molting chickens tend to become more flighty and less friendly during their molt. When a newly emerging pinfeather gets caught on something sharp or is torn, then it’s time to administer some first aid.

Torn pinfeathers will bleed quite a bit and catching the injury right away is important. Thankfully, noticing a torn or bloody spot on one of your hens should be fairly easy if you tend and care for your flock regularly throughout the day. As soon as you notice blood on one of your molting hens, you should remove her from the flock. Blood will attract pecking from other flock members and could end up being fatal for the injured hen.

First Aid Procedure:

Once the hen is removed from the flock, you can administer first aid.

1. First, stop the bleeding. With a clean cloth, very gently apply pressure to the wounded feather follicle. The pressure will help the blood clot. If needed, apply a little tapioca flour or cornstarch to the wound to further quicken blood clotting.
2. Once the bleeding has stopped, gently clean up as much blood from around the wound as possible. A clean cloth dampened with warm water works well.
3. Apply some anti-bacterial and anti-viral spray or ointment to the wounded feather follicle. Vetericyn is a good option!
4. Keep the hen separated until you are sure the bleeding has completely stopped and all of the blood is cleaned away from the wound. You may have to set up an infirmary pen for the hen while her feather heals.

To prevent bloody or torn feathers from being a problem during molting season, you can practice a few management techniques. Make sure there are no sharp or pointy objects in the chicken coop or enclosure. If a molting chicken brushes against or accidentally flies into a hard object, it may pressurize a tender pinfeather too much and cause it to burst. Preventing bullying or feather picking is essential during molting season.

#2. Bothersome Roosters

Sometimes bothersome roosters can become a hazard to hens during molting season. A rooster will want to continue his rooster duties even when his hens are molting. Most roosters will realize when a hen is uncomfortable or not open to his advances. However, some roosters may get a little too rowdy and force a hen to consent to his wishes.

When a rooster mates with a hen, he will grab her neck feathers and stand on her back, moving his feet back and forth in a movement called treading. When a hen has sensitive, new feathers growing in, mating can be very painful. It may even cause some pinfeathers to burst.

If you have a rooster with your homestead flock, make sure you keep an eye on him during molting season. Most of the time a rooster will respect a refusal from a molting hen, but if you have a rooster who is a little more assertive about his duties, you may consider putting him in rooster jail during the molting.

Rooster Jail 101:

Having a rooster jail is helpful for giving the hens a break from the rooster during molting season (or anytime really!). A rooster jail can be a pen that the rooster is kept in during the day, or it can literally be his living quarters separate from the hens. The rooster jail can be in close proximity to the hens or totally away from the hens. However, I recommend that the rooster has some interaction with other chickens (even if it is through a fence) so that he doesn’t get lonely or depressed.

The rooster jail should be predator proof and supply food and water. If the rooster stays in the pen all day and night, then he will need a safe, predator proof spot to roost at night as well. Sometimes all you need to do is seperate the rooster during the day to give the hens a little break and then he can join them again in the evening.

#3. Feather Picking or Pulling

Feather picking can become an issue during the molting season if your flock is not getting the proper diet, they are bored, or you have a bullying issue. Feathers are high in protein which means chickens need additional protein during the molting season to meet the increased protein requirements needed as new feathers form and grow. Newly emerging feathers are also nourished by a constant blood flow. Chickens are attracted to blood and may even crave blood if their diet is not complete.

Feather picking is characterized by chickens pulling out their own feathers or each other’s feathers. Sometimes the feather pulling is accompanied by the chicken then eating the feathers. At the sight of blood, feather pulling may progress into full-on bullying and even cannabalism.

To help prevent a majority of feather picking issues, simply provide supplemental protein during the molting season. There are many ways you can provide supplemental protein to your flock, but make sure you consider the other dietary elements the protein supplements may be providing as well. For a comprehensive list of protein sources for chickens, check out the article on Protein Sources for Chickens.

In general, meat-based protein sources are the most helpful during the molting season because they provide all the essential amino acids needed to support good health and grow in new feathers. Some good protein sources for the fall molt include cooked meat scraps and dried black soldier fly larvae.

How to Deal with Feather Pulling:

When you have a feather pulling problem in your flock, there are two things you should do. First, if the feather pulling has resulted in bloody feathers or wounds, you will want to seperate the injured bird and treat those wounds immeditely. After that, address the actual problem of feather pulling.

Bully Chickens– Sometimes bully chickens will engage in feather pulling, which will become more problematic during molting season. Make sure you know how to deal with a bully chicken if they are the cause of feather pulling. If you notice a specific chicken engaging in feather pulling, you may want to seperate her from the flock.

Boredom– Individual chickens may engage in feather pulling if they are bored as well. Try to keep your flock stimulated during the molting season to keep their minds off of the newly emerging feathers. Providing plenty of space to roam or get away from each other will also help prevent feather picking.

Dietary Deficiency– Flock wide feather pulling would indicate a dietary deficiency. Eating pulled feathers is a sign that your flock is lacking in protein or craving salt. However, a protein deficiency is more common than a salt deficiency. Add some supplemental protein into your flock’s diet if a protein deficiency is the cause of feather pulling and eating.

#4. Cold Weather

One concern that many first-time flock owners have is how their molting chickens will deal with colder weather. Most chickens molt in the fall. In the northern regions, cold weather can pose a problem. When a cold spell hits and your flock is still molting, how much you help them will depend on the stage of the molt and the severity of the temperature drop.

Chickens naturally handle cold weather better than warm weather. Especially when the change from warm temperatures to cooler temperatures is gradual. However, their feathers serve as their main insulators against the cold. When a hen is going through a severe molt, some of her cold weather insulation is missing.

For chickens going through a mild molt during cooler weather, they will be fine as long as they are provided with a sheltered coop and enclosure and extra protein supplements. Mild molters will also be able to handle brief cold spells as long as they are provided with a protein and energy rich diet as well as sheltered conditions.

Some of the same measures used for preventing cold stress can also be used during times of cold weather. Molting chickens will appreciate the extra measures taken to help them stay warm and finish their molt!

Problems occur when a chicken is going through a severe molt and a severe cold spell hits. The chicken is already putting lots of energy into growing new feathers. This will limit how much energy can be put towards staying warm. When a hen can’t put energy towards staying warm, she will begin to experience extreme cold stress. Extreme cold stress can be fatal.

Note: Never use a chicken sweater on a molting chicken! The sweater does not help her stay warm and the pressure on her newly emerging feathers is painful.

Caring for Severe Molters During Cold Weather:

When a hen is going through a severe molt and cold weather strikes, you may need to step in and help her through the cold spell. Behaviour and environmental factors should be used to determine when you need to help your molting hen.

Behaviours to watch for include lethargy, shriveled comb and wattles, decrease in water and food consumption, and weight loss. Ideally, you will want to catch the hen before she starts exhibiting these behaviours.

Environmental factors to consider include what temperatures the hen is used to as well as how sudden the temperature change occurs. Wind chill factors and precipitation may also play a role in how much the cold weather affects your flock.

For a hen who may suffer during a cold spell due to a severe molt, you will want to bring her inside to a more temperate location for the length of the cold spell. Ideally the temperature should be similar to what the average temperatures were before the cold spell. That way, once the cold spell breaks, she can be put back out with the flock with no gradual adjustment to different temperatures.

Set up an infirmary pen in the chosen location. The pen should have soft, easy to clean litter as well as food and water. No additional heat lamps or heat sources should be needed. Care for the molting hen throughout the cold spell. You can give her high-protein treats to help her through her molt. As soon as the temperatures return to average, put the hen back out with her flock.

#5. Poor Health and/or Lethargy

While not usually common, you should be aware that a chicken’s health can decline during the molt. Poor health during the molt can result from a chicken’s body trying to put energy into too many things. If a chicken is also trying to fight a disease, injury, or parasite, the energy required for growing new feathers may tax the body too much.

The general signs of illness will be the same for molting chickens. However, there are a few key sickness symptoms to watch for when a chicken is molting:

• shriveled and pale combs and wattles
• diarrhea or non-normal poops
• parasites in the droppings
• lack of interest in food or water

These will be signs that your molting hen is also trying to fight another ailment or parasites. Any hen showing signs of sickness or poor health should be moved to an infirmary pen. Once separated, you can go about diagnosing her problem and helping her get the treatment and energy she needs to fight her ailment while molting.

When caring for an ailing, molting chicken, treat the problem first and provide extra protein to help the hen finish her molt at the same time.

To help a sick or ailing, molting chicken, you will want to make some minor changes to her diet. A nutritionally complete, balanced poultry feed should be top priority for an ailing chicken’s diet. High protein supplements can also be offered, both meat-based and plant-based protein sources. Probiotics, garlic, and eggs are also good supplements for ailing, molting chickens.

Help your molting flock stay healthy throughout the molting season by using natural supplements (like garlic and herbs), providing a nutritionally complete diet, practicing good biosecurity, and minimizing stress factors (like sudden weather changes, lots of handling, or scary experiences).

Lethargic Molting Chickens:

One symptom that molting chickens may exhibit is lethargy. Lethargic behaviour can be a sign of illness or cold stress. However, molting chickens will in general be less active than they would normally when they aren’t molting. Molting requires lots of energy and a chicken may try to conserve energy by not being as active as it normally would be.

Molting hens may like to spend more time sitting on a perch, resting, or preening. Lethargy can be a sign of something more serious when it is paired with lack of interest in food, water, and normal behaviours like interacting with flock members, preening, or roosting.

Knowing emergency care for molting chickens will help you deal with any problems that might arise during the molting season. Whether it’s injuries, flock management, or environmental concerns, being aware of how to deal with each scenario is important for keeping your flock healthy and happy! Extra protien, free-range time, rooster management, and proper winter preparations can all help your flock complete their molt efficiently and without problems!

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by Alexa