It starts when a chicken is around eighteen months old it will experience its first molt. Molting stage is where a chicken will replace its old feathers with new ones, and also the weight of their body will gain or increases. During this molting time hens will lay few or will lay no eggs at all because a lot of the chicken’s energy is needed to replace the old feathers. The molting requires a very large amount of protein. At some point in a hen’s egg-laying cycle,all their protein goes toward creating an egg.

What really happens when the chicken is molting aside from changing its feathers?

• The chickens are weak. They are more prone to diseases and illnesses. The only way to keep their immune system high is to let them eat a proper pellet that will boost their energy and immune system. There are many energy boosters that you can buy in the market right now and these foods are usually integrated on some of the common chicken foods.
• Not only changing of feathers but also the lose of feathers. The first process of molting is that the chicken will lose its feathers. The tail feathers will be the last fall out.

While molting is a very natural on chickens, say annual occurrence in mature chickens, their health should be closely monitored to ensure their systems receive the nutrients needed for successful replacement of feathers. Unsuccessful replacement of feathers of unsuccessful molting may result to immune deficiencies and bone density loss. Though the chickens can be forced molt, a very high chance that the chicken that will undergo forced molt will experience many deficiencies. Molting must be natural and don’t ever interfere when chickens are molting, rather, give them vitamins that will help them survive from molting.

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