We’ve been going through some serious molt around here. My chickens have looked just awful, and the coop and yard have been filled with feathers. It’s a natural occurrence, and it takes a lot of energy to grow new feathers. So nature designed it that chickens will molt when there is a slow down in egg laying, hatching, and making new babies. Their bodies focus on growing new feathers. Hens stop laying and going broody, and roosters aren’t quite as amorous as in the spring. Chickens need their reserves to replace all those feathers, and that makes sense to me. Unfortunately, the typical timing of a molt just so happens to be as the colder weather starts to come in. And half naked chickens have to run around with little to keep them warm during this time. Plus, they look down right pathetic.
But the good news is, it only last three or four months or so. Today I noticed that Bobby Lee, the Phoenix rooster, is busy growing in his beautiful tail feathers.
Those white, quill looking things are his feather shafts, and each has a beautiful feather starting to come out of the end of it.
I’m thankful we are heading out of the molt. Not only am I glad my chickens will look better and stay warmer, I’m glad egg production may pick up a little again. Two to four eggs a day out of all these hens is a little disheartening. Even if the older hens don’t start laying again until next spring, at least I’ve got the pullets to help get us through the winter with eggs.
So many of my hens hatched out chicks this year that I’ve got a variety of ages in the yard. Many from the hatches from the last few months are teenagers now, and they are refusing to roost at night. They prefer to sleep in the nest boxes. This may not sound like a big deal to you. But it’s a BIG deal to me. These teenagers poop in the nest boxes. And they poop a lot! Each morning I have to change out the bedding in the nest boxes, and I don’t like changing out poopy bedding in the nest boxes. It kinda gets on my nerves. I have WAY too many teenagers to spend each night removing them and placing them on the roosts. So I came up with a plan…..
Remember my newly renovated nest box area?
Well, this is how it will look every night, from here on out, until those teenagers learn to get on the roosts:
And those new nest boxes Bernie built me?
Well, they’re now covered at night too.
Ha! That’ll teach ‘em.
Wait. You don’t think they’ll out-think me on this one, do you?
I just don’t trust these sneaky little chickens…..
Tags: molting, nest box covers, Phoenix
Penny you always teach me something, Thank you!! And yes you make have out foxed those chickens, that are way to funny.
Ha! I just saw your post on FB about the teenagers and their nasty habit. I was going to tell you to simply cover the boxes at night. You beat me to it! I believe you have officially outwitted them.
Wow my Red Stars have been looking pretty bad for awhile now. I do think that that mean roo that I had did most of it to them, but my Momma has grown back her feathers and she looks absolutely gorgeous. The babies are now 2 months old and this weekend I will be moving Momma and her 3 babies out to the coop. It is gonna be hard but it is time and since I know that one is a rooster, he needs to be a ‘baby’ still and meet his boss so to speak. Jack is gotta stay Alpha because I don’t think he makes a good beta roo and I don’t want to have to get rid of more boys.
I had some of the babies that hatched in March that slept into the nest boxes also, and in fact my Jack and one of his other Delaware girls still sleeps in them, they are 7 months old now and I tried to put him up on th roost at nite but that is such a pain to have to staddle over the other girls to put him and his girl up there. I have one Delaware girl that has never ever slept on the roost.
I do like how the boxes look when all closed up for nite nite. You are lucky to have Bernie to help you out.
We are gonna get the wire to run electricity to the coops this weekend so I can have power for when I go out at 5:30 to open the coops up each morning.
Charlotte – I’m not so sure I out foxed them. I’m worried about the open brooders beneath the nest boxes. They may decide to sleep in there. It’s not as bad as the nest boxes, but still….. I’ve still got that Hamburg sleeping with her babies in the brooder. I worried she wouldn’t be a good mama – but I swear those babies are as big as she is, and still tuck up underneath her wings at night! I may need to close off one of the brooders and as soon as mama decides to teach the babies to roost, close off the other.
CeeCee – Great mind and all
We’ve been talking about how to close off those boxes for a few weeks, but we kept over engineering it. Last night, in total desperation I finally said “Even just a board over the nest boxes would work!” And that’s exactly what we did. The covers only took a few minutes to make and install and it’s finally done!
Lisa – How old are your chickens? If they are over a year old, they may be molting. Growing back feathers is a sure sign…. Best of luck moving the new babies to the coop with the rest of the flock. I hope it goes well. I do feel your pain about older chickens sleeping in the nest boxes. I am at my wits end with it. I think covering the nest boxes at night will do the trick. Yay for power in the coop! I rarely use mine, but it sure is nice having it when it’s needed!
We are in an off time for eggs too. I walk around saying Chicken Soup to the girls. They don’t care. They know better.
Kelly
yea my red star girls are one year and probably 2 years for some other ones my husband got last year. It does look like some have new growth and I agree it makes no sense why this happens when it gets cold out. Go try and figure out nature, i sure can’t.
Oh how is Duke doing? My girls seem to be doing very well. I still have the bandages on their feet but gonna take them off hopefully tonite and look and see how they look, vet said a week, well Wed. was a week and then they can go back outside. Whoo! I can have my side of the garage back until the next one that gets sick or needs some extra TLC.
Well, there ya go. That will teach those darn teenagers not to make those big messes.
Theyll know who is in charge now…..
I know what you mean. I got four eggs today out of 8 layers and that was for 2 days. I am very disheartened but it should be over soon. My son and I hope to work on a new coop very soon. If it ever quits raining here. Have a great rest of the week and weekend.
Kelly – Fortunately, four eggs a day is enough to keep me from having to buy them, so far….. I hope those four girls keep going!
Lisa – I just don’t know about Duke. His bumblefoot continues to be an issue, and now he is pretty much ostracized from the flock. His tail stays low these days, and he spends the majority of his time by himself. I worry about him. But I’m glad your girls are doing well! Wouldn’t it be nice to have eveyone healthy as we head into the winter???
Frugalmom – Teenagers can be tough, can’t they? They can’t sleep in the nest boxes anymore, but I find 3 or 4 on the coop floor at night. I’m putting them on the roosts – maybe they’ll figure it out soon.
Trixi – A new coop! I’d love to see pictures of it when you get it built. Hope all is well with you and your family. I know the holidays will be tough without your husband, but I hope your family can enjoy it. I know you’re husband is proud of all you’re doing while he’s away. I hope the time until you are together again goes quickly.
I see by the comments that they still haven’t figured out how to roost, huh? At least they haven’t out-foxed you and figured out how to get into those nest boxes, lol!
It looks like my first batch of strawberry jam (only 6 jars) will be primarily used as gifts to family. I might have 2 jars left for myself!