Questions Re: (Possible) Summer Molting - Signs and Support

[Dreammaker]

Hello!

I have a one-year-old Swedish Flower hen who I suspect is molting. For the past month or so, her production has gone way, way down (from about 3 eggs/week to 1/week at most). I suspect molting because I see many of her feathers around the run and she's looking a bit disheveled. She's a crested Swedish Flower and I first noticed her "bouffant" looking less fluffy, making me think molting as opposed to feather-eating/picking by the others (correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't molting tend to start from the head down?). When I picked her up, some of the feathers near her head and neck just fell right off and I see a few new ones coming in in that area. She's also becoming more withdrawn and seems almost shy or embarrassed (if that's possible with chickens) to be in this state. She has always been rather aloof and not fond of us humans, but she's even moreso now. Her demeanor is probably also related to the fact that she's at the bottom of the pecking order, last to get a hold of a tasty treat. You get the idea... I checked her vent quickly (she was pretty mad about being scooped up) and didn't see any signs of pests, nor have I seen any on her flockmates. She did have her tail down for a moment when I was outside looking at her just now, but once I approached, she scurried away (I'm wondering if that tail-down stance was a sign of egg-binding?)

Questions:
1.) Does this all sound like molting and, if so, is there any supportive care I should be giving her?
2.) If I offer a high-protein food such as scrambled eggs or cat food (dry or wet, by the way?), do I need to isolate her to do so? Otherwise, I really think the others will crowd her out of getting any.
3.) Could there be a simpler way of boosting her protein, such as offering Black Oil Sunflower Seeds free-choice or mixed with their feed?
4.) If supplementing just her diet isn't necessary, do I just continue with their regular diet, water, etc. and let it run its course?

For context, here's their diet -
Feed: Nutrena Hearty Hen 18% Protein Layer Pellet
Treats (very limited; 2-3x/week): A scoop of Grubblies
Free-choice: Oyster shell and crushed egg shells (the latter is more like a treat for them a few times a week; they devour them right up!)

Thanks!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

1.) Does this all sound like molting and, if so, is there any supportive care I should be giving her?
2.) If I offer a high-protein food such as scrambled eggs or cat food (dry or wet, by the way?), do I need to isolate her to do so? Otherwise, I really think the others will crowd her out of getting any.
3.) Could there be a simpler way of boosting her protein, such as offering Black Oil Sunflower Seeds free-choice or mixed with their feed?
4.) If supplementing just her diet isn't necessary, do I just continue with their regular diet, water, etc. and let it run its course?

1.) Yep, it certainly sounds like molting. From what I've read, chickens will go through their first adult molt at about 18 months. And extreme heat or other stress can trigger a molt, too. I found a pretty good article about why chickens molt:
https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/feed-health/why-and-when-do-chickens-molt/
2.) I also found this article about protein. It says that it's okay to feed higher protein to all the birds, they'll just expel the protein they don't need. The downside is that it will create higher ammonia levels and moisture in the coop - so you'll have to clean more often or risk health problems in the flock.
https://backyardchickenscoop.com/protein-for-chickens/
3.) see the article above. ^^^
4.) 18% protein is on the higher side already, so it's probably okay to just keep them on their regular diet and water, and let it run its course. Your other birds should begin their molt within a month or two anyway.

(disclaimer: I'm absolutely NO expert on chicken nutrition, though - I've made some recent mistakes and have been doing some research. If more experienced members chime in about nutrition that differs from mine, please take their advice.)

My other thoughts about why she's so touchy - the new feathers coming in are prickly and birds don't like to be touched or handled when they're going through molt. It's a bit painful, I hear. Could explain her demeanor of late. It also sounds like she's going through a "soft molt" instead of a "hard molt", which is why you haven't noticed a bunch of feather loss all at once --- she's losing a little at a time, and it will take longer for her to complete the molt.

Just my thoughts. Hope it helps.

 

[SmiYa0126]

One of my hens is going through soft molt right now, her neck and bum feathers were replaced first and then her head, her head looked like a porcupine.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You can feed a higher protein feed to the whole flock (like 20%), doesn't really hurt anything. Personally I don't change a thing while birds are molting, I figure they have enough to deal with without having to adjust to a new food.

My other thoughts about why she's so touchy - the new feathers coming in are prickly and birds don't like to be touched or handled when they're going through molt. It's a bit painful, I hear. Could explain her demeanor of late.

x2. She's not embarrassed or shy, she's painful and does not want to be handled or touched by the other birds. I try to avoid touching molting birds if possible.

 

[Dreammaker]

Thank you so much, everyone! I guess my suspicion was right: she's molting. I felt so badly about picking her up, but wanted to make sure there weren't any signs of something else going on. I hadn't thought of her demeanor as being attributed to the discomfort of feather regrowth, but it totally makes sense.

I think I will stay the course for now with her current diet. As rosemarythyme says, the change in food might only add to her stress.

Hope this doesn't last too long. This is our first summer with chickens and I hadn't expected such an early molt!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think I will stay the course for now with her current diet. As rosemarythyme says, the change in food might only add to her stress.

Hope this doesn't last too long. This is our first summer with chickens and I hadn't expected such an early molt!

Most commonly their annual molt happens somewhere between mid-summer and early winter. I have one that's noticeably molting (no tail left!) and has been for the past couple of weeks. This is on the early side, but she might just be programmed that way - you'll know next year for sure if she begins molt early. On the plus side, that means she may also resume laying through winter or at least earlier after solstice.

Also a 18% protein feed isn't too shabby, so she should do fine on that.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Hope this doesn't last too long. This is our first summer with chickens and I hadn't expected such an early molt!

Just wait until one decides to molt in January. That'll keep you up at night worrying!
Hmmm..... come to think of it, since chickens generally have their first real molt at 18 months, I'd better not plan on hatching any more chicks this year!!! Next spring, I'll get an EARLY start.

 

[Dreammaker]

UPDATE:

Yesterday evening, my husband noticed Helga (the molting hen) sitting in a nesting box. We thought it was odd, since she hasn't laid in over a week, but thought maybe that's what she was going to do. We didn't go out afterwards to check; we forgot.

Well, just now, I went to collect eggs and saw that in the same nesting box, there was what looked like very loose, watery poop and no sign of an egg. I'm not an expert, so I can't say for sure what exactly was going on, but it had the brownish/whitish components of normal droppings, just runnier. In hindsight, I should have grabbed my camera to take a pic, but I was honestly so grossed out I just immediately threw out the straw and hosed off the liner.

Are GI/poop issues associated with molting?
Could the excessive heat -> increased water intake and/or stress-> runnier poop?
Could this be a sign of egg-binding, since she hasn't laid in such a long time and it happened in the nesting box as opposed to the run?

She is acting normally this morning, as far as I can tell. Walking around as usual, still shedding a few feathers here and there. I am hoping this isn't some sort of parasitic infection.

 

[Dreammaker]

2nd UPDATE - HELP!

I just checked her again and her comb and wattles have a tiny blueish, purplish hint to them. Not pale, just not the same salmon-y kind of red like the other (hopefully healthy) hens in our flock. I spent a few minutes observing her and noticed she was sort of shaking her head side to side a few times. Not violently, just the way one does when shaking their head "no." After a few "shakes" she slumped her head forward slowly, then back up. It was odd and something I've not noticed before. I don't hear any strange sounds, gasping, wheezing, etc.

My original post was about molting, which I still believe is happening, but I am growing concerned there's more to the equation. Worms? Neurological issue? Simply an accumulation of stress?

Any advice on what I should do is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

P.S. I can try to take a video at some point, but knowing my luck, she'll be acting "normal" when I go out to document it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure what the head shaking could indicate. So that could be something concerning, or it might not.

The loose watery poop could definitely be a result of increased water or wet food/treat intake due to summer heat. And molting may cause birds to want to sleep away from others, so as to minimize being touched by other birds.