rhodas moulting

[lyn]

Hello from a very snowy North Wales more help pleae Rhoda my eight month old Rhode island red is moulting how long do they moult for and is there anything i can give her to help her with it my three chickens all have poultry drink in the water and i also give them organic worming pellets once a week as recomended on the packet she just looks terrible and i feel so sorry for her but she is eating and drinking fine so am i just over worried
many thanks lyn
p s Ellie my sussex white does not like the snow but the other two are fine including rhoda

[MaureenHall]

Give her some porridge to keep her warm, but don't worry, she'll snuggle up to the others at night to keep warm

[Flummery]

They reckon (I am the person who reads the books and forums in anticipation but hasn't actually got any chooks or any experience yet!) that a little cat food helps at this time as it is high in protein. Not chicken varieties obviously - that would just be so wrong! Moulting is stressful but it's a natural process.

[Birdie Wife]

Hi lyn,
As Flummery says, high protein food will help her through the moult, feathers are mostly protein and it is a bit of a stress on the system to make a whole new set. Cat food, meal worms and porridge are all good. Don't worry that she looks raggedy, actually, it's apparently a sign of a good layer if a hen moults in one big go rather than a little at a time. This can make them look decidedly 'oven ready' but they are hardy creatures and won't suffer too much.

[Snadger]

Strange that they always wait until the weather becomes decidedly cold before casting there feathers though? Daft or what!

[Hilary B]

Strange that they always wait until the weather becomes decidedly cold before casting there feathers though? Daft or what!

They want a nice new warm winter coat. Have to take off the old one to grow new.