# molting chickens bald issues winter



## toth boer goats

To everyone that has chickens and when they molt... Bald and the cold...

I was told by a friend.... a trick... that I don't know if anyone else knows.. but... I thought I'd share in case..... You know how the poor chickens molt and are bald? You can stop that ...
As soon as you see a lot of feathers on the ground(molting)starting... give the chickens some cat food....it is high in protein and the chickens won't lose all there feathers...... Feed them some cat food along with their regular feed... for a week...... Tried that with mine and all my chickens kept their feathers.... :thumb:


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## SandStoneStable Farm

I feed some dry cat food and scrambled egg :/
They will still molt, but in smaller less noticeable patches


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## Springbett Farm

Wow! My chickens are constantly stealing the catfood.... and they haven't molted badly. Hmmmm. It must work!


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## toth boer goats

> I feed some dry cat food and scrambled egg :/
> They will still molt, but in smaller less noticeable patches


Yep..I know they still molt :wink: ...it is less noticeable...and they aren't naked...HeHe... :laugh:



> Wow! My chickens are constantly stealing the catfood.... and they haven't molted badly. Hmmmm. It must work!


 There ya go.... I think you have really smart birds..... :greengrin:


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## PznIvyFarm

Thanks for the hint. I usually wait until deep winter to give them catfood soaked in hot water, they love it. 

I have had some issues with feather mites, specifically with three hens who were horribly bald. I dipped all three in sulfur dip mid October and two look great now but one just kept getting worse and worse, she had feathers on her wings and that was it. I thought i'd have to bring her in the house, but re-dipped her during a freak warm spell a couple weeks ago, and she is FINALLY growing feathers back, but the cat food would probably help speed that up.


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## toth boer goats

Mites can be nasty....give the cat food a try..... :thumb:


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## PznIvyFarm

Never gave this much thought, but i was reading cat food labels for purina, meow mix, friskies and special cat brand (walmart) All of them had corn as a second ingredient (and i think one food I saw had it as a first ingredient.) It's not much better than chicken food :roll: 

I'm sure i can find one that is more meat-based, but I dont want to spend $50 a bag either - what kind of cat food do you use?


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## lissablack

I use Taste of the wild dry, but I give the cat Friskies mushy food for a treat. It costs $10 for a 5 lb bag, but less per pound for a 15 pound bag. It is grain free. This is good to know about the chickens. Mine aren't molting, but I feed them very well. And they are all a year old or less except one, and that one molted already in the fall and was all grown back by the time it got cold.


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## toth boer goats

> I use Taste of the wild dry, but I give the cat Friskies mushy food for a treat. It costs $10 for a 5 lb bag, but less per pound for a 15 pound bag. It is grain free. This is good to know about the chickens. Mine aren't molting, but I feed them very well. And they are all a year old or less except one, and that one molted already in the fall and was all grown back by the time it got cold.


 Good advice.... :hi5: :wink:


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## Mandara Farm

No Kidding! Excellent to know about -- thank you!


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## toth boer goats

> No Kidding! Excellent to know about -- thank you!


 :wink:


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## PznIvyFarm

Thats what i was feeding my dog for awhile (until she started having issues with that food too) I was having a discussion with people about feeding our dogs premium foods (ie no grain) and noticing how many had stomach/skin issues still, versus when I was a kid my parents bought whatever was cheapest, Purina, Dad's and the dogs NEVER had stomach or skin issues. 

I ended up feeding her Wellness for awhile and she wasn't having any problems, but it was $50 for a large bag - might have been 35 or 40 lbs. I had convinced my husband i needed premium food for the dog - i don't know if i'd mention that i was considering buying premium food for the chickens lol


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