Why your hens look tatty in autumn

Every year, usually from late August through to October, most hens in the UK begin to shed and replace every feather on their bodies. It is a full renovation project, and it takes it out of them. A bird that was glossy and laying steadily in July can look moth-eaten and sorry for herself by mid-September, and that is entirely normal.

You will usually notice the order of things. Feathers drop from the head and neck first, often leaving a slightly scruffy look around the face, then the breast and body, then the wings, and finally the tail. Hens rarely lose them all at once. A light moult might take six to eight weeks; a hard moult, where your hen looks almost naked, can run to twelve or even sixteen weeks.

Laying stops, or slows to a trickle. Combs shrink and lose their colour, and birds may seem quieter than usual. Your hen is not unwell — she is diverting protein, energy and calcium into building new feathers rather than eggs. Winter laying will return once the job is done, usually from late December onwards.

Telling a normal moult from something else

Most autumn feather loss sits somewhere on the normal spectrum, but a few signs point to something that needs attention.

• Pecking damage: bald patches in a clear line or strip, especially on the back or around the vent, usually mean a flock-mate is pulling feathers rather than a moult.
• Parasites: look for red mite hiding in coop crevices by day, and lice clustered around the base of feathers. Pale, straw-coloured lice and clumps of eggs on the feather shafts are easy to spot.
• Broken or ragged feathers that never seem to drop, combined with a bird that looks thin, can suggest worms or an underlying health problem.
• Bald patches that stay bald as the weeks pass, with no new pin feathers coming through.

Check your birds over properly every week or two through the season, ideally after dark when they are calm on the perch. New feather shafts coming through look like small, blue-grey spikes, often called pin feathers. If you can see plenty of those, your hen is on track.

Protein is the priority

Feathers are around 85 per cent protein, so rebuilding a full plumage is a demanding job. Layers' pellets usually sit at 16 to 18 per cent protein, which is fine for maintenance but on the low side for a hard moult. Many keepers switch to a grower or finisher pellet at 18 to 20 per cent while the feathers are coming in, then return to layers' pellets once laying restarts.

Small extras genuinely help:

• Cooled scrambled egg, with no salt or butter — a favourite that costs pennies.
• Dried mealworms or calci worms, a small handful per bird rather than a whole bag.
• Sunflower hearts or a little hemp seed, which are high in protein and easy to digest.
• A tin of sardines or mackerel in spring water, drained and mashed, shared between half a dozen hens once or twice a week.
• A poultry tonic in the drinking water for a few days, which supports birds through the stress of regrowth.

Keep treats to around a tenth of the daily diet. Filling hens up on corn, bread or kitchen scraps dilutes the protein they need and drags the moult out. Always provide grit and oyster shell, and make sure the drinker is clean and topped up, as growing feathers need good hydration.

Give them somewhere calm to get on with it

Stress delays feather regrowth, so the moult is not the moment for big changes. Hold off introductions of new birds, avoid moving the coop, and keep disruption in the run to a minimum.

Moulting hens feel the cold because they have far less insulation. A dry, draught-free coop with deep bedding makes a real difference in a small garden, especially from October onwards. Ventilation at high level should stay open — damp air is worse than cold air. A dust bath of dry soil, sand and a little wood ash helps birds groom and keeps parasites in check.

If one hen is being pecked, give her a separate section of the run or a small covered area where she can eat in peace. Feather pecking often starts when protein is short or space is tight, so both are worth reviewing.

Handle gently, and less often

New feather shafts contain a blood supply while they grow, which is why they are sometimes called blood feathers. They are tender, and a rough grab can snap one and cause bleeding. Keep handling to the minimum during the moult and pick hens up properly when you must: support the breast with one hand, keep the wings folded with the other, and hold her close to your body.

A quick ten-second check is enough — vent clean, crop not swollen, breastbone not sharp, feet and legs clear. If a pin feather does break and bleed, press a clean cloth on it firmly for a minute or two, and keep the hen apart from the others until it has stopped, since blood attracts pecking.

What is worth a second look

Most moults need nothing more than good food, a quiet corner and a little patience. Do seek advice if a hen is losing weight, sitting hunched, eating poorly, or has a mucky vent. A moult that never ends, or a bird who stays bald for months, is worth investigating for parasites, worms or illness.

Watch for bare skin becoming red, broken or bloodied, and act quickly if you see it. Otherwise, enjoy the small drama of it. Fill the feeder, add a handful of mealworms, and let your hens get on with the work of growing themselves a brand new coat.