Molt: A Natural Phenomenon in Backyard Chicken Keeping
The first signs of changing seasons are clear as the buzz of cicadas fills the auto backdrop, a sign that late summer descends upon the northern hemisphere. Many backyard chicken keepers notice their flocks look disheveled as molt begins the slow transition of shedding feathers in preparation for the coming fall and winter seasons.
In late summer, many novice backyard chicken keepers are horrified to see feathers covering the coop and pen floor. While the scene resembles an attack from a nocturnal predator, feather loss is natural and affects all birds, including chickens. Molt is the biological process of feather replacement and occurs yearly in backyard flocks.
In this article, I will discuss what molt is, why it’s important, and what backyard chicken keepers can do to support their flocks during the molting process.
What Is Molt?
Molt is the process by which birds shed their old feather and replace them with new ones. Molt can vary by species, year, and by individuals. Molt is considered complete when the bird replaces all if its feathers. Molting typically progresses from the head to the tail over the course of several months. Some birds can lose more feathers at once appearing naked while others lose few to no feathers.
Image Credit: Archaeopteryx Restoration
Molting is as old as the linage of birds which began in the Mesozoic when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Birds are dinosaurs, specifically, birds are an advanced group called paravians, a clade of dinosaurs that is directly related to the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex and the ferocious Velociraptor (Brusatte, 2018).
The signature feature of birds – feathers – evolved in their ground-dwelling theropod ancestors first noticed in Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur taxon outside parades to be found with evidence of proto-feathers.
The earliest feathers looked much different than the quill feathers of today. Initially, feathers evolved as multipurpose tools for display, insulation, protection for brooding, and sexual dimorphism. These early feathers were more like a fluff – appearing more like fur than feathers – consisting of thousands of hair-like filaments. Silkie chickens possess feathers that lack barbs that form the classic shape we associate with feathers. The first proto-feathers in dinosaurs were much like the texture of feathers on the Silkie. The breed name “Silkie” is derived from this unique feather texture.
As the body plan for feathered dinosaurs continued to fine-tune the use of feathers, flight happened by accident. More advanced paravians had achieved the magical combination to achieve flight – large wings and smaller bodies (Brusatte, 2018). As the body plan of birds continued to refine, they lost their long tails and teeth, reduced to one ovary, and hollowed out their bones more to lighten their weight. By the end of the Cretaceous, birds flew over the heads of Tyrannosaurus Rex and other land-dwelling dinosaurs.
Sixty-six million years ago, the birds and T-rex witnessed the Chicxulub impact that brought the Mesozoic to a close. While therapods with large and expensive body plans died out, birds sailed through to the Cenozoic. The surviving non-avian dinosaurs carried with them the body plan seen in birds today, including the yearly process of molting.
Why is Molting Important?
Feathers, like skin or hair in humans, are replaced by the body regularly. Unlike humans who constantly shed skin cells, birds shed feathers annually.
Molting prepares a bird’s body for winter by replacing old feathers with new ones. During molt, backyard chickens will grow in the winter down needed for warmth. It is important for chicken keepers not to interfere with the molting process by placing chicken sweaters or other unnecessary items on the bird. While molting chickens can look naked and cold their bodies are built for this process.
How Can Backyard Chicken Keepers Help the Molting Flock?
During molt, birds will need increased protein in their diet to support feather regrowth. Providing mealworms is a great way to add affordable, healthy protein.
As pin feathers emerge, keepers must prevent irritating these new feathers. Pin feathers contain a fresh blood supply and are very sensitive to the touch. If new pin feathers are touched too roughly, they can bleed, causing pain and distress to the bird.
While molting, I do not hold my birds unless necessary and avoid touching the pin feathers if possible. Once the feathers fully develop it is safe to hold and interact with the flock again.
During the molting process, hens will decrease or cease laying altogether. During this time, the hen’s body uses all available energy to support feather regrowth. Once molting is complete, egg production will increase, and the flock will resume activity. After molting, the flock with new feathers will look stunning with fresh plumage and renewed vigor.
While lengthy at times, molting is a natural process for all birds and necessary for survival and life outdoors.
I am a multi-disciplinary writer, blogger, and web content creator. If you like this post, please visit some of my other blogs or online writing portfolio.
Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about Dinosaurs!
The Introvert Cafe – A Mental Health Blog
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As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!
Resources:
Brusatte, Steve. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World. William Morrow An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. New York, NY. 2018. (pgs. 282)
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