The Moult Is A Natural Process

Jessica Wombwell explains why there is feather loss in poultry

- Jessica Wombwell

New poultry keepers become very anxious when their birds begin to lose feathers. This condition is known as the ‘moult’ and occurs at the same time as the seasonal decline in egg production. It is a perfectly natural process, a physiological phenomenon consisting of the shedding of existing feathers before the replacement of new feather growth. The moult is nature’s way of maintaining the birds’ ability to possess good quality feathers that enable it to escape from enemies through flight and provide greater protection and warmth during the cold winter weather.

Fowl moult several times during their early growth as old feathers are replaced by new. The first moult is when chicks are about a week old, for their fluffy down is gradually replaced by early plumage, which takes about three weeks. The second moult occurs over a longer period, usually from eight to twelve weeks of age. This is the time when the birds begin to show their true colouring with adult feathers growing in earnest. The third moult is a complete moult, occurring when the laying hen is in its second year of life.

The life cycle of a chicken is very much motivated by the seasons and the length of daylight. In the laying hen natural moulting usually begins when the summer equinox has passed and the days begin to shorten. Sometimes a bird will moult in the middle of summer and other times, especially if the autumn has been very mild, it will be almost Christmas before it drops its feathers.