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Help! My Chicken Is Loosing Feathers!

By Amanda Boyd

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Published: 07Oct2009
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Feather loss or moulting is a natural process for our chickens. However, if it happens outside of a moulting period it can be an indicator of a more serious problem such as inadequate diet, new surroundings, stress, parasites, cleanliness and disease. But how do you know which one is affecting your beloved chook? Let's take a look at some of the things you should look out for.

Moulting is a natural process where the old feathers are replaced by new feathers. It normally occurs annually and during the autumn as that is when the days are getting shorter and usually lasts between four to ten weeks. Don't be alarmed if your chicken loses a large portion of their feathers. They may not look so attractive but it's all part of being a chicken! Feather loss is usually accompanied by a reduction in egg production or even a complete halt. This is because feathers contain protein and all the protein they eat needs to go towards producing their new plumage. Make sure their diet is of a good quality containing lots of proteins (earthworms are great for this!), amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Ask your local feed store what they would recommend.

I feel it's important at this stage to point out some general dos and don't for the moulting period: Make sure your chickens are well fed and getting plenty of nutrition, do not clip their wings, try not to handle them when fresh quills are coming through as this can be painful for the chickens and make sure they have somewhere warm and dry to take shelter as they will be a little chillier with less feathers for insulation!

Feather loss can also be attributed to a poor quality diet. The best way to ensure a balanced diet is to buy high quality feed specifically formulated for laying hens from your local feed store. A general guideline on how to feed your chickens would be around ¼ lb of feed per chicken per day. Also please remember chickens love fresh clean water every day.

When a chicken is too cold or too hot for prolonged periods they can become distressed so ensure their coop is properly ventilated and insulated (depending on where you live) and that it's able to withstand the elements.

Bullying can occur in chickens and feather loss could be a result of aggressive behaviour by one or more of the other chickens. This behaviour can include feather pecking and pulling. There is a pecking order within a flock and one of the chickens will be in charge but when it goes too far you might need to step in. Worst case scenario you may have to separate your flock. First observe your chickens more closely to really determine if this is the cause of the feather loss.

Chickens stress easily and one major stressor is if they are in constant fear of predators and feeling vulnerable to attack. Look at where your chicken coop is situated and how safe and secure it is for your birds. When a strange cat prows past our chickens, they squawk really loudly and make themselves really tall. That serves as a warning to the cat and to us to take note! We have taken steps to ensure cats and other animals can't reach our chickens through the use of netting and fencing.

Chickens also stress in new surroundings and again the side effects can be the loss of feathers. There are many ways to introduce a chicken to it's new home but for now just bear in mind if you have a new chicken, research the best ways to make the move as easy as possible for her but if she is still loosing her feathers give her a little time to adjust and hopefully she will settle in very quickly and the feathers will start to grow again.

Birds that are unhealthy tend to loose their feathers. Check your chickens regularly for any signs of mites, lice, illness and disease. Also make sure they are not off their food and their poo is normal.

So all in all if you stick to regular monitoring of your chickens, a good quality diet, fresh water, a clean, adequately sized and safe coop you will be minimising stress in your chickens and reduce the chances of feather loss outside of the regular moulting period. The result being some very happy and healthy chickens!

If you are thinking of building your own coop and would like easy to follow plans that will provide your chickens with a tried and tested, very safe and comfortable chicken coop then visit http://www.chickendiyguides.com. There's tons of other information that will help you raise very happy chickens simply and easily!

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