Chicken molting is the process of losing and regrowing feathers, and it happens every year when the days become shorter. Contrary to popular opinion, during molt, hens expressly cease producing eggs and utilize this period to build up their nutrient stores. Even though they are not laying, it is vital that your hens receive a consistently high quality feed at this period.
Chicken molting stages
During their first year of life, chickens molt twice. The first molt occurs about 6-8 days of age, when they shed their fluff and begin to grow feathers. The second molt occurs between 7 and 12 weeks of age, when chicks lose their baby feathers in preparation for their first complete covering.
The head and neck lose their plumage first, followed by the saddle, breast and abdomen (body), wings, and tail. While the initial feathers fall from the neck and body, excellent layers will typically continue to lay, but when the wing feathers begin to fall, laying normally stops.
Source:PoultryABC.com
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