Why do hens moult?

Moulting occurs naturally in some hens, often at the end of their natural egg laying period after a year.  Many traditional breeds respond to reducing day length and moult as they come into late autumn. Often hens will exhibit completely normal behaviour, but may look as though they are being bullied, with some feather loss on the wings, neck, breast and flanks. On closer inspection, there is little to see apart from less well-feathered, undamaged skin with small new feather tips erupting. Each new feather should be in perfect condition with no evidence of any sharp points or V-shaped ends or sides suggesting a pen-mate has taken a chunk out of them. 

Re-feathering can take place over several weeks. Hens will often come back into lay afterwards, or they might wait until the warmer Spring weather. 

How can I help my hens during a moult? 

Moulting puts a great amount of physiological stress on a bird, especially if they time it when the weather is turning cold and they have less insulation than usual. This doesn’t mean they get "stressy" and "uppety" at things, it just means their body is working ten-to-the-dozen and needs a lot of nutritional support for it to perform its job properly. Providing them extra vitamins and a gut conditioner can help your hens maintain a happy interior and exterior while they go through this energy zapping process. Don't forget to watch out for bullying during this time too, as newly grown feathers and a bald bottom can be tempting, especially if it coincides with a period of flockdown, which puts a lot of mental stress on them too. Keep a quality barrier cream in stock, like Filtabac, in case you see any red skin, cuts or grazes to prevent them getting any worse.