Chicken Health & Behavior
What is molting?
Molting is a natural time of year when chickens lose old feathers and grow new feathers and plumage.
Molting is a normal feather replacement cycle
Molting is a natural process where chickens grow new feathers and plumage. This normally happens from late summer through fall.
During a true molt, chickens will usually stop laying eggs while their bodies focus on growing new feathers.
Seasonal Timing
Molting normally happens in late summer through fall.
Egg Laying Slows or Stops
Chickens will usually stop laying eggs during a molt.
New Feather Growth
During molt, chickens replace old feathers with new feathers.
Is all feather loss considered molting?
Not always. Sometimes chickens may lose feathers during the summer, but they may still continue laying eggs.
If they are still laying eggs while losing feathers, this is usually not considered their molt. In many cases, those birds may actually be some of your better layers at that time.
What should I expect during a molt?
Feather loss while still laying may not be molt
If your chickens are losing some feathers during the summer but are still laying eggs, they are likely not going through their seasonal molt.
Molting is a normal part of a chicken’s yearly cycle and helps them replace old feathers with fresh new plumage.