Bad feathers AFTER molt on 18 month Wyandotte.

[toritori]

My entire flock (3-18 month old Brahmas and 2-18 month old Wyandottes) just went through a giant molt. Feathers from one end of the property to the other. Everyone is filling back out beautifully, except for Heckle, one of my Wyandottes. Her sister Jeckle has beautiful new plumage and has plumped back up. Heckle, however, has feathers that are "frizzy"; dirty and old looking. Instead of a flat open feather, they look like the discarded old feathers that you find at the bottom of the coop. She is a little on the thin side. Comb and waddles look ok and skin ok, it looks like Jeckle's.

A few just started laying this week, we are getting one or two eggs a day. But I am not sure which chicken is laying the eggs.

Any ideas?

 

[Judy]

Did you worm them while they were molting? Certain wormers affect how the new feathers come in. Other than that, someone more educated than I will have to answer you, sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have heard also that Safeguard wormer can cause abnormal feathers if given during a molt, but have no experience with that. Maybe your chicken needs worming? Valbazen is very good, as well as Safeguard goat wormer (as long as they aren't still molting.)

 

[casportpony]

You're both correct, Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook says *not* to use Fenbendazole (Safeguard or Panacur) during molt *or* during breeding season, but I have wormed about 100 or more that we're in different stages of molt and I haven't noticed any issues with their feathers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that people should worm during molt, just that I haven't seen any side effects from doing so and I felt the benefits of worming outweighed the chance of having funny looking
feathers.

-Kathy

 

[toritori]

We took in the Brahmas last November, and they were very sickly. We had to worm then and worked like dogs to bring them back to health. I haven't wormed since then.

 

[Judy]

I worm once a year, probably should worm twice a year. I know of experienced chicken keepeers in my type of soil (moist, warm, wormy) who worm up to five times a year. You'll never get rid of them if they are on your property. It's a matter of controlling the infestation and giving their gut and system a chance to recover periodically.