03/30/2026
This is not another “look at my pretty colored eggs” post… because that’s just not me.
No filtered fluff. No AI-perfect hens. Just real life.
Today, we’re talking about molting.
If you’ve got laying hens, you’ve seen it—or you will. It’s not pretty. Feathers everywhere, patchy backs, birds looking like they lost a fight with a pillow.
Molting is completely natural and happens to all chickens at some point, though not always the same way or at the same time. Most hens go through it once a year, often when the days start getting shorter.
They drop old, worn-out feathers—usually starting around the head and working their way back—leaving bare spots under wings, across their backs, and sometimes making them look half naked.
And yes… this is when your egg basket goes on strike.
Most hens will slow down or stop laying altogether because all their energy is going into growing new feathers instead of producing eggs.
Now here’s the really cool part…
Have you ever watched a feather grow in?
New feathers come in as “pin feathers,” covered in a thin sheath that almost looks like skin. As the feather grows, that sheath dries up and flakes away, revealing a brand new feather underneath. It’s a little weird, a little messy, and honestly kind of amazing.
So if your hens are looking rough right now—don’t worry.
They’re not broken. They’re just rebuilding.
