Help me please??

DarleneE

Songster
9 Years
Feb 9, 2014
578
240
216
Riverview, Fla
My 22 month old Easter Egger started to go thru what I thought was her first molt several weeks ago. But all she lost was her big, back tail feather and some of the fluffy under feathers, but hardly any really. Since then she has barely been eating, not laying eggs and as of this morning I can see she's not eating at all. She'll go up to the plate like she WANTS to eat BUT CAN'T it seems?? She'll turn and walk away then. Also her eyes are closing like she's really weak. I just noticed her doing this today.. up till now, though she's barely been eating, she's still been normal walking all around, jumping up on the roof of the coop etc etc. Also our setup is a bit different. Their coup is built inside our screened porch and they have their run around it and basically that end of the porch is enclosed and is all theirs. Then we hand carry them out to a fully enclosed run in the yard daily so they can free range there, dirt bathe, peck grass etc, then bring them back in. However since this molt started, btw my Barred Rock IS molting pretty heavily and has been for about 3 weeks now.. her new feathers are all coming in now, but since this molt thing began we've not taken them out to the yard. I read where you are not supposed to handle them during this time cause it hurts them..?? They also don't act like they want to go out either?? They just seem content in there.. it's a big area in there.. our porch is the full length of the house!! So plenty of room for exercise and the sun comes in for them to sun bathe. All this being said.. any ideas what could be wrong with her?? I've brought her in and put her in a small dog crate with several towels to keep her warm. I've been giving her pediolyte with a dropper and I mixed a little honey in with some yogurt and put it in there for her but so far she's not eating it. She did drink some of the pediolyte on her own from the dropper. But she just stands there with her eyes closed?? She was laying down in the coup outside but in this crate she keeps standing there with closed eyes. She didn't seem to wobble or nothing like that outside in her run and she even jumped up onto the window ledge in the porch to look out with the other hen. I'm very concerned as these two girls are my pets and I love them very much!!!! Please tell me WHAT i can do????
 
They've both been having just like clear water with a little yellow in their droppings and I thought it was like that instead of the usual dark solid green cause they weren't eating much since the molt started??
 
For some reason neither of the two have eaten much since the feathers started falling?? Now they WILL eat mealworms, lettuce, canned corn.. etc etc TREATS basically!! But they Just DON'T seem to want their feed???? So I've NOT been giving them much treats cause they have to eat their feed. I do give them some mealworms fur the protein but not too much. But now today Livie isn't even eating the treats!!?? Daisy on the other hand IS. She tore up the mealworms this morning and a little yogurt I was trying to give Livie. So she seems fine.. though SHE is the one actually really molting??!!!!
 
I don't have any experience with molting, since I'm new enough to chickens that mine have not yet gone through a molt. However, I don't think going through molt should normally cause them to stop eating. In my experience, when they aren't feeling well, sometimes they will be motivated to eat the treats, but not their food. And then, when they really aren't feeling well, they stop eating even the treats. Have you checked to see if you can tell if she is egg bound? Does her abdomen look/feel swollen? IT's possible she could be laying internally. Do you have access to a vet who will treat chickens?
 
animalgrl,
Thanks for writing. What you've written makes good sense. I don't think she's egg bound.. her tummy and bum look and feel fine, plus they stop laying during a molt.. so she stopped laying a couple weeks ago when the molt began. I do not have the ability to take her to a vet as they actually want $120 JUST to walk in the door with her.. NO treatment with that, so my husband will not allow me to take her. Esp considering we have a current $3,000+ vet bill going with our dog who recently had an echo done with then accupuncture weekly X 4 weeks, then bi-weekly, etc etc at $87 a pop!! It adds up VERY quickly!! Thanks be to our wonderful Lord everything was normal with the echo and the acupuncture has made him a puppy again (he's 9!!) it's helped him SO much!! So to me it was all worth every penny!!

As for Livie.... I've been giving her Pedialyte with a dropper all day every couple of hours and I'm so happy to say that she has started drinking on her own now and I mean lots of drinking!! She also has actually started eating her layer feed again??!!! I don't know how or why but she IS!! She also did a normal, solid green poop again finally!! She's only been passing clear to yellowish liquid since she's not really been eating. So this to me is A HUGE step in the right direction I think??!!! I'm praying she continues to move forward!! I have her in our bathroom in a small dog crate lined with some big thick towels where she can cuddle herself up in them and keep warm.. with the Pedialyte and some layer feed available to her. I also currently still have the light on in the bathroom because she was eating and picking thru the feed and I wanted to take advantage of that and have her eat as much as possible!! She's also more alert than she was for sure!! Sooooooo all this in consideration I'd say she's moving in the right direction.

I'm seriously wondering if the problem could be the supplement I've been giving them?? You know how chickens are VERY good at knowing what they do and don't need in their bodies such as with the calcium and the Oyster shell!! Wondering if maybe they were over their limit on some vitamins or something like that due to that supplement (which I really was giving VERY generously!!??) and thus didn't want to eat the feed having even more of those same nutrients?? I know that's a long shot, but you never know.. anything is possible??!!!

In any event, I know I'm not near out of the woods YET.. however I am seeing things much more optimistically. Prayers still needed please?? Thank you so much for writing!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!
 
For some reason neither of the two have eaten much since the feathers started falling?? Now they WILL eat mealworms, lettuce, canned corn.. etc etc TREATS basically!! But they Just DON'T seem to want their feed???? So I've NOT been giving them much treats cause they have to eat their feed. I do give them some mealworms fur the protein but not too much. But now today Livie isn't even eating the treats!!?? Daisy on the other hand IS. She tore up the mealworms this morning and a little yogurt I was trying to give Livie. So she seems fine.. though SHE is the one actually really molting??!!!!
Switching to a grower feed will help increase their protein intake and help them molt faster. The ones that have barely noticeable molts are the ones that take the longest to finish. They are likely both molting. Most of my flock are slow molters. They've been at it since the end of September and are still molting.
Mealworms are great, but withhold all other treats until they start eating their feed. Chickens can be just like little kids. They would rather fill up on goodies.
 
Junebuggena,
Thank you!! I actually have gotten a wild bird and game feed that is very high in protein and mixed it in 50/50 with their feed so they will get the benefit of the higher protein yet still get the calcium also. That was what they recommended I do at the feed store. Also they started not eating the feed way before I mixed it so that is NOT why they're not eating it. Yes I'm giving them mealworms sometimes also and I've stopped all other treats. Livie seems better though I think??!! She IS actually eating the feed in the dog crate I have her in in our bathroom and she's been drinking the Pedialyte also and it's apparently perking her back up. She's holding her eyes more open now. I don't know why she kept keeping her eyes closed though?? Unless she was too weak to open them?? But doesn't make sense though cause she was strong enough to jump up and down from the window ledge which takes alot more energy than opening your eyes?? Wondering if there is something wrong with her eyes?? They look clear to me. I don't see anything wrong with them?? This whole thing is so strange?? Just don't understand what's going on???? I'm just praying they're gonna be OK??!!! They are my pets!!!!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom