By Theresa Gibilisco, owner, The Hungry Puppy
Every fall, somebody walks up to the counter, holds out a phone, and shows me a photo of a hen who looks like she lost a fight with a pillow. Feathers all over the run, bald patches on her back, and the nest boxes have gone quiet. "Is she sick?"
Usually, no. Usually she's molting. Here's what's going on, how long it lasts, and where a feed like Nutrena Feather Fixer fits in.
Why the eggs stopped
Hens lay by the light. The University of Nebraska's poultry extension puts it at about 14 hours of light a day to keep a hen laying, with production best at around 16. Here in New Jersey, the days drop below that by late summer and keep shrinking through December. When they do, a hen's laying cycle shuts down until the days get longer again in spring.
Shorter days also set off the molt. According to Purina's poultry team, molting usually happens in the fall as daylight decreases, and a hen's first big molt typically comes at around 18 months old. She stops putting her energy into eggs and puts it into a new set of feathers for winter.
What a molt looks like, week by week
Every hen does it a little differently, but here's the usual pattern:
- The first few weeks: feathers start dropping, often from the head and neck first, then the back and tail. Laying slows or stops.
- The middle stretch: new pin feathers push through. They look like little quills and they're tender, so she may not want to be handled.
- The end: the new coat fills in, she looks sleek again, and laying picks back up, usually once the days lengthen.
Purina says to plan on about eight weeks, though some birds take as long as sixteen. Younger hens and the heavy layers tend to bounce back faster.
Why protein matters right now
Purina puts feathers at about 80 to 85% protein. Growing a full new coat in a couple of months is a lot of protein for one small bird, which is why so many flock owners switch to a higher protein feed during the molt. Purina recommends a complete feed of around 19% protein during this time.
That's where Nutrena NatureWise Feather Fixer comes in. It's a complete pelleted feed at 20% protein, with balanced amino acids, chelated trace minerals, added fat and vitamins A and D3. Nutrena adds an herbal blend (oregano, rosemary, thyme, marigold and star anise) and its FlockShield blend of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. It's made for chickens 16 weeks and older, hens and roosters both.
Feather Fixer still carries layer level calcium, 3.25% to 3.75% on the tag, so a hen who keeps laying through her molt is still covered.
How to feed it
You have two choices, and both are on the label. You can feed Feather Fixer year round as your flock's main feed. Or you can switch to it as the whole ration at the first sign of feather loss, then go back to a regular layer feed when the molt is done. Whichever way you go, mix old and new feed over a week or so when you change. Purina suggests seven to ten days when moving between feeds.
Keep NatureWise Oyster Shell in a separate dish for the layers, and NatureWise Poultry Grit available if they get scratch or scraps.
Go easy on the scratch
This is the hard part for people who love spoiling their hens. Scratch grains are about 7.5% protein. Every handful of scratch is a handful less of the 20% feed she needs to grow feathers. During the molt, keep treats small, or use the time to cut back.
A few other ways to help
- Handle less. Those new pin feathers are sensitive.
- Hold off on new birds. Purina's team advises against adding flock members during the molt, since it shakes up the pecking order and adds stress.
- Keep the coop dry and draft free. Clean, dry bedding matters more when they're half dressed. Our pine shavings come with feed delivery at no separate minimum.
- Keep water fresh and unfrozen. Molting is hard work, and water matters as much as feed.
When it isn't the molt
Not every quiet nest box is a molt. Short days alone will slow laying. So will age, stress, a predator scare or a broody hen. Feather loss with pecked or bloody spots can mean feather picking or parasites like mites. And a hen who is hunched, lethargic, not eating or not drinking needs a vet who sees poultry, not a feed change. Feed supports a healthy molt. It doesn't treat illness.
Feather Fixer questions
Is Feather Fixer 18% or 20% protein?
The bag on our shelf today is 20% protein. Older bags were labeled 18%, which is why you'll still see both numbers online. Go by the tag on the bag you buy.
Can roosters eat Feather Fixer?
Yes. Nutrena makes it for hens and roosters 16 weeks and older, which is handy for a mixed backyard flock.
Will Feather Fixer make my hens lay through the molt?
No feed can promise that. Laying comes back when the molt is finished and the days get longer. What a higher protein feed does is give her what she needs to grow those feathers back.
Do I have to switch back to layer feed afterward?
You can, or you can stay on Feather Fixer year round. Both are fine by the label. If you do switch back, mix the two feeds over about a week.
Bring it to the backyard
We carry Feather Fixer, layer feeds, oyster shell, grit and shavings in Farmingdale, and our own trucks deliver them to your backyard Tuesday through Friday on your town's route day, free with a $20 minimum. See our backyard chicken feed page, our farm feed delivery page, or call 732-938-4470. New to chickens? Start with our guide to what chickens eat.